Sailor Moon:Rise of the Sapphire Wolf
by Sailor Sapphire Wolf
Summary: An ancient prophecy foretells the end of the world unless the Princess of the Blue moon can be found and the Infinity Sapphire used to stop the evil Sovereigns of Silence and solitude. Will the scouts welcome a new addition with a troubled past? All bets are off when the enemy forces the scouts to take sides and make decisions.
1. Prologue

Prologue

Thousands of years ago, our moon was home to two great civilizations. The first was the kingdom of the silver millennium or simply, the moon kingdom. The second was the kingdom of the sapphire millennium or the kingdom of the blue moon. These two great civilizations flourished side by side as allies. It also helped that Queen Serenity of the moon kingdom was close friends with Queen Aniu of the blue moon kingdom. Their daughters, princesses Serena and Nora, were also fast friends despite Nora being 10 years older than Serena.

The palaces stood side by side in the center of the kingdoms each a beautiful and splendid work of art with ornate columns, polished, crystal stone floors, and gorgeous, manicured grounds and gardens. There were extravagant parties with dancing and fireworks and, all the citizens felt safe and happy watched over and protected by the sailor scouts, elite warriors each entrusted with the power and care of a different planet.

Princess Serena was even in love with none other than prince Darien of the Earth. Under the queen's watchful eye, their romance was blossoming fast and, it was expected that he would soon propose and the two would eventually wed.

Princess Nora took pride in her royal lineage and trained hard as a scout. She knew that she would be in charge of protecting and leading the blue moon some day. She was not only princess but chief general in charge of the blue moon's armed forces. Queen Aniu trained Nora despite warnings not to by the outer scouts.

"Queen Aniu, if she inherits the infinity sapphire from you, you know what she will become. She's already the only scout with a poisonous bite. " Uranus said with consternation.

"She does not know that she is one of the two dark scouts. It is a tremendous burden and, there is no telling how she might handle it, if she were fully awakened." Neptune said mournfully.

"As you know, I am the other dark scout. If it were to ever become necessary, I could destroy an entire planet. She could destroy the entire universe. My powers should not exist, but they do. I am an emergency fail-safe in the event an enemy is too powerful to be defeated. This fact haunts me every day. How do you think she will feel if she finds out she's an emergency fail-safe in case evil took too great a stronghold in the universe?" said Saturn ruefully.

"I appreciate your concern but, if and when Nora inherits the infinity sapphire is my decision. That being said, rest assured, I will not turn it over to her without being absolutely certain that she is completely ready and that she understands fully the ramifications." Queen Aniu spoke firmly but kindly and nodded.

The outer scouts bowed and returned to their posts understanding their queen had heard them out and would wait and see for now.

Unbeknownst to them and the rest of the silver and sapphire millenniums, the real trouble was yet to come. It would arrive on Earth first, slowly corrupting and turning its people against prince Darien. Even his four closest friends would be lost forever to its power. It was known as the negaforce and its servants were led by the sadistic queen Beryl. When there was nothing more he could do on Earth, prince Darien fled to the moon to warn queen Serenity and queen Aniu of the impending danger and offer his help in fending her off.

"Mother, please, let me use the infinity sapphire. I can handle the strain because I'm younger. If you use its power, you will exhaust yourself to death. I'm already in command of our forces so it's not like I won't be fighting anyway. Please, mother, get to safety and let me handle this." Nora argued.

"No." said the queen her blue eyes looking sternly into Nora's equally blue ones. "You may have the endurance but, you haven't the experience and time is up for teaching you. Go take a battalion to the east gate and prepare to back up queen Serenity's forces in the court yard between our palaces quickly!" queen Aniu spoke rapidly as they raced up the stairs to the balcony of a turret her wavy, waist length, blue hair and ornate blue and white dress swishing and billowing around her.

"Yes. mam!" Nora said with a salute dropping the argument and turning to head down stairs to the stockade where the troops would be preparing for battle.

Queen Aniu stepped out onto the balcony.

"My queen, they're here! Sound the alarm! We are under Attack!" a grey wolf with an upturned, blue crescent moon on its forehead that matched that of the royal family of the blue moon yelled in a female voice looking up from the courtyard below as she ran for cover as a blast shook the castle.

Queen Aniu steadied herself and pulled a lever that started the palace's air raid sirens.

"Attention, every one, all forces to battle stations. This is not a drill!" the queen said urgently into the palace's intercom.

"Battalion 7 you're with me. We're going to the central courtyard and we're going to help our friends in silver. I will lead the charge and I will not leave any of you behind no matter what. Have your shields ready and don't let the enemy through!" Nora commanded as she led a battalion into the palace grounds.

"Yes, mam!" they replied as they readied themselves.

A nearby blast shook the ground. Several of the men readjusted their helmets. Nora stood ready in her scout uniform of a blue top, white skirt, ornate, blue, almost combat style boots, and white, wrist length gloves her ankle length, extremely strait, platinum white hair showing the two blue stripes that came with her scout transformation. A white bow with a blue button in the center decorated her chest and a white choker with an upturned, blue crescent moon adorned her neck. Another white bow was tied at the small of her back. Her uniform also included a white collar. Crescent moon earrings and a silver tiara with an upturned, blue crescent moon in the center completed the ensemble.

"Here they come!" she said in a determined tone as a number of queen Beryl's force came into view.

"So, you think you can stop us?" said the leader.

He was a tall man with long, white, strait hair. He held a large broadsword in one hand and a shield in the other and wore a dull grey, long sleeved uniform with a white cape. Nora glared defiantly and opened her mouth in an audible, menacing hiss showing the twin two inch long fangs that also came with her scout transformation.

"Don't let that one bite you. If she does, you'll be dead before you hit the ground. She's venomous." he cautioned his troops.

"So, my reputation precedes me." Nora said slyly.

"Your reputation does not matter." the enemy general said darkly. "Destroy them all!" he called to his forces raising his sword and motioning them forward.

"Hold the line! Defend the palaces!" Nora yelled as she sent an energy blast at the leader.

He deflected it with his sword and rushed her. The two sides clashed all around them swords clanking against shields and armor. Battle cries and yells of pain filled the air. Nora blocked his charge with a nearby shield and countered with the sword of a fallen soldier. The two clashed over and over. Smoke billowed from distant, damaged buildings. Civilians screamed in panic and ran everywhere for cover.

"They've broken through the first line!" the distant yell of a soldier echoed.

The wind picked up as a massive pitch black cloud swirled closer destroying everything in its path. Nora traded blows with the enemy general several more times before a huge blast ripped apart the palaces throwing both of them a decent distance. As she was getting back to her feet, Nora saw the enemy general bow with his fist across his chest as a stern faced woman with long, wavy, dark, red, almost brown hair approached in a dark, purple dress.

"My queen, I was just dispatching the last of the moon's forces." He said arrogantly.

"Excellent, Malachite, now, finish it." she gestured toward Nora.

"Of course, my queen." he replied still bowing

At that moment, Darien and Serena came running across the courtyard having escaped a collapsing part of the Silver Palace. Darien pulled Serena by the hand obviously trying to get her to safety. They stopped realizing their mistake. An evil smile stole across Malachite's face.

In an instant of horrible realization Nora turned to Darien and Serena and yelled "Run!"

Malachite made his move in the blink of an eye. Nora threw herself in the way of his sword just in time to protect her friends as Serena let out a terrified scream. "NORA! NO!"

Nora winced as Malachite drew back with a grin.

"Get out of here you two." she said in a pained voice dropping to her knee and clutching her side as blood stained her uniform where Malachite had run her through.

"We can't leave her!"Serena sobbed as she resisted Darien's pull on her arm.

"I told your mother I would protect you. We have to go." he pulled harder finally getting her to follow.

They fled from view with Serena looking back over her shoulder at her injured friend as she ran.

Malachite advanced menacingly on Nora ready to strike the final blow.

"Enough with her, she's finished." Queen Beryl scoffed.

Malachite turned to face his queen a question on his face but thought better of it and bowed before moving to follow her.

Nora managed a pained grin as she looked up. "You don't know me very well do you?" Nora said almost smugly. "I'll make you sorry, Beryl. That's a promise." She gave a weak laugh.

Distracted by his queen's order, Malachite looked up just in time to see Nora transform into a large, white wolf the mark of the blue moon prominent on her forehead. She sprang forward knocking Malachite to the ground and silencing him with a bite to the neck.

"You're next, Beryl." she growled.

"I don't think so." the evil queen replied sure of herself.

With a powerful blast from the negaforce, queen Beryl laid waste to the entire kingdom of the moon. Nora was thrown a great distance. Her wolf form broken, she got to her feet shakily. The once beautiful palaces lay in ruin all around her and, her scout uniform was scuffed, tattered, and torn. Sailor Saturn emerged from a pile of rubble nearby, her uniform a wreck and tears streaming down her face.

"This is bad. We can't stop her." the dark scout said sorrowfully.

Nora noticed her mother and queen Serenity holding up the silver imperial crystal and the infinity sapphire in a clear preparation for the last option.

Nora turned to Saturn and winced "Do it. We're done for anyway." she said as she staggered and fell to one knee.

Saturn brought down her silence glaive as the people of the moon kingdoms were sent into the distant future on Earth.


	2. Once in a Blue Moon

AN: Ok. So, before we get into the next chapter hopefully you've read (and enjoyed) the prologue. A little bit about me; I'm 27 and live in Texas(but I'm originally from Colorado) in the US with my mother, stepfather, 3 younger brothers ages 18, 13,and 12, my younger sister age 10, my pet large mouth bass, Spook(he's afraid of flashlights and likes to watch TV), and our 6 hamsters, Abby, Jeffry, Jeremy(all dwarfs; the next three are the larger teddy bear kind), Tommy, Blue, and my hamster, Smoke(who makes an appearance in this chapter). I grew up in the 90's with the original anime and even own a pocket manga printed by Mixx of the first few chapters. I adore the story of Sailor Moon and nothing I have written is intended as an insult. This chapter is packed full of variety which I hope makes it relatable. Any names are not intended to be those of real people or places with the exception of Idina Menzel, Alaska, Japan, the US,Liverpool, Fairbanks, England and Tokyo . Any brands/items mentioned are done so as a compliment not an endorsement and all original credit, copy rights, and intellectual property belong to their rightful and respective owners this includes Sailor Moon and Alaska State Troopers(there's a scene in here that resembles one from that show because I like watching it). Additionally, if Sailor Sapphire Wolf's sapphire coffin/ sapphire burial attack seems inspired by the attack of the character, Gara, from Naruto then you are entirely correct and Naruto and all of its characters are the intellectual property of its rightful owner (same as everything else). My original characters are mine please; ask me if you want to use them (I typically won't take issue with it). Also, the scene where Nora is discharged from the military is NOT intended as a slight but rather as a highlight of some of the issues soldiers face when returning home from war. A word of caution: This chapter is a super lunker topping out at over 15,500 words so, buckle up, get comfortable (I recommend a favorite food or drink as the perfect companion for this reading experience), and enjoy the ride. I know I've got a couple of you who have been waiting an eternity for me to post, so, enough with my rambling, and, without further ado, here ya go. Hope you enjoy.

Once in a Blue Moon

Somewhere along the outskirts of Denali National Park not too far from Fairbanks, Alaska:

The snow crunched under her feet as Nora went about loading her camping, hunting, and fishing gear into the back of her Jeep Grand Cherokee. The hood louvers reminded her of a shark's gills and complimented the mesh grill nicely. It was a beautiful vehicle and, the 30 year old took pride in it. After all, it was one of the super rare 1998 Limited models with the 5.9 liter magnum v8 engine. Only around 14,000 were ever made and of those, only around 2,000 had the stone white paint job like hers.

She smiled as she noticed the sun glinting off the shiny chrome tail pipes and the ornate yet rugged aftermarket rims (Dick Cipeck DC2's). She was clad in snow boots and a cammo patterned snow suit so, she wasn't even fazed by the cold as she went about her preparations. She hopped up into the driver's seat having to step upward a bit on the count of the Jeep's 4 1/2 inch lift (a Rubicon express brand that she had scrimped and saved to get for a long time). She turned the key in the ignition and felt a small wave of familiar shivers go down her spine as the engine roared and growled to life. She loved the sound of the Flowmaster supper44 muffler and exhaust system especially when coupled with the headers and K&N cold air intake.

She hopped down and let the vehicle warm up while she double checked the tire pressure. Just as she expected; perfect, the BF Goodwrench all terrains she'd bought last season had been a wise investment.

She loaded her snow mobile from its spot under the carport next to the front deck onto a small trailer and secured it with several ratchet straps. After using several bungee cords to wrap a tarp over it, she got in her Jeep and backed it up to the trailer.

Getting out of the Jeep once again, she turned the hand crank on the trailer and the trailer jack slowly lowered the trailer down onto the ball of the Jeep's waiting receiver hitch. Nora double checked the bull dog coupler and attached the emergency disconnect chains. After plugging in the electrical cord for the trailer's lights and brakes to the Jeep's trailer wiring outlet, she went to make one final check around her home to make sure she had everything she needed.

Nora's home stood three stories tall, a prominent sentinel on her two acres of land. It was built like a rustic cabin but with a modern edge to it. The giant logs used to build it were a cheery rust, almost red color. The crisscrossing ends of the logs at corners were visible and gave the giant cabin a warm but almost imposing look. The various windows glinted like jewelry in the sunlight. The tall, apexed roof was adorned with a brick chimney and, at its peak, a decorative weather vane with an anemometer. Mounted to a bracket and pole slightly above these was a massive TV antenna the name Wineguard stamped on the underside of it.

The basement was below ground and housed the main electrical and plumbing access. Unlike most basements, it was well insulated and temperature controlled with the rest of the house. It was also very well lit which made it easy for Nora to store and organize keepsakes and seasonal supplies. Various holiday decorations as well as an old military uniform and a weathered photo alblum could all be found here, each neatly in its place.

Up a flight of stairs and equally well lit, insulated and temperature controlled was the garage. It was fairly sizeable with enough space to house Nora's Jeep, trailer, snow mobile, and an ATV which she used mainly during the summer as well as a small John Deere riding mower. All her tools and lawn and garden equipment were organized and arranged neatly. A number of shelves, drawers, and wall hooks lent the garage its sense of order. A weed eater hung in a corner next to where a push mower stood. A shovel and rake hung on the wall adjacent to it. Bags of potting soil and fertilizer sat on the nearest row of shelves along with a small spade, hand shovel and a pair of gardening gloves. The rest of the shelves and drawers were taken up with spare automotive parts and tools.

Through a door to one side was an enclosed greenhouse. Its glass walls and ceiling sparkling like diamonds in the sunlight with condensation. Many plants, flowers, shrubs, and even a few trees grew in neat rows within. One row had numerous rose bushes each a different color. Another had various flowers such as azaleas, tulips, irises, lilies, daisies, and chrysanthemums. Yet another had a number of species of small, flowering cacti. One section was a vegetable and herb garden with all manner of carrots, lettuce, cabbage, potatoes, broccoli, cucumbers, and tomatoes. Sage, ginger, parsley, kale, and spinach were also present. The various trees included a banana tree, a palm, an apple tree, and an orange tree. Other plants to be seen were bamboo, aloe, mother-in-law tongues, a pitcher plant, a Venus fly trap, and elephant ears. All were sectioned according to climate with the greenhouse watering system rigged to accommodate each section's need. Every plant and tree was vibrant and happy looking. On the rare occasions that Nora had visitors, the greenhouse was nine times out of ten one of the favorite rooms.

Through a door to the other side of the garage was the living room. It was spacious and open. A large, leather couch sat against one wall. Opposite the couch was a Samsung 55 inch LED flat screen TV atop a black, wooden entertainment center. On either side of the TV were small speakers branded with the name Bose. The corresponding subwoofer could be seen next to the entertainment center. A gorgeous rug featuring a wolf howling to the sky adorned the floor between the couch and TV. There was a small table in a corner and a set of shelves with some books and magazines along the wall nearest it. A beautiful painting hung on the wall above the couch depicting Mt. Everest against a deep, blue night sky glowing in moonlight. On a wall across from it hung a fine grandmother clock. A brick fireplace gave an atmosphere of warmth and, a window overlooking the front yard hung with bamboo blinds and offered a clear view of anyone at the front door.

The kitchen featured stainless steel appliances and granite counter tops. The cabinets were solid wood with a beautiful grain. The table and chairs were Himalayan rosewood a splendid part of the Tahoe collection by Jay Pur. A large deep freezer stood next to the refrigerator their condensers humming almost in unison. Out the window could be seen the smoke house where Nora cured her meats and on the patio at the bottom of the deck steps a large barrel smoker/grill glinting peacefully in the sunlight.

Nora's bedroom was down a hallway off the living room. The bedroom set was of the same collection as the kitchen table. The glossy rosewood added to the beautiful, rustic feel of the entire home. Her room was peaceful, neat, and orderly. Several pretty posters adorned her walls, Elvis prominent among them. A plain blue rug took most of the floor matched by blue lace curtains. A small entertainment center with a small flat screen TV and several video game systems stood across from her bed which had a very thick, comfortable Tempurpedic mattress and a stunning blanket and pillow set featuring embroidered moons and stars against a deep, blue background. An alarm clock sat atop her dresser to the side of her bed within easy reach to be turned off upon sounding in the mornings.

Down the hall from her bedroom was Nora's simple dojo/gym. The walls were all mirrors and the floors were shiny, clean, and bare except for some mats in a corner. In another corner stood a punching bag and in yet another stood a treadmill and some free weights.

Up a spiral staircase from the living room was the second floor. The main part of the upper hallway overlooked the living room with a decoratively carved wooden banister. At one end of the hall were two rooms. To the right was Nora's office. It was every bit as spotless as the rest of her home. A nice wooden office desk stood against one wall a computer and phone arranged in a very space saving manner on its surface. A rolling leather office chair stood alongside the desk looking extremely comfortable. Another corner housed a shiny, metal filing cabinet. A white dry erase board was mounted on one wall while a calendar hung on another. A cork bulletin board hung on a third wall next to where an elegant grandfather clock stood.

Across from the office was the trophy room. Its walls were decorated with numerous sets of horns and antlers. Numerous fish also took places among the trophies. Against one wall stood a case and in it were displayed lots of military awards as well as a few others. The floor was bare. Nora planned on eventually having a bear skin rug.

At the other end of the hall was a staircase that led to the top floor. The top floor consisted of a landing at the top of the stair case and a single, large room. The room was very open with full length windows hung with vertical bamboo blinds offering a panoramic view. In the middle stood a number of bookcases with innumerable volumes of all kinds of books. A small table, sofa, and recliner sat alongside the shelves. A porcelain lamp perched in the center of the table. This library was another favorite of Nora's periodic guests.

Unlike the cement floors in the basement, garage, and green house, the living room and the remainder of the house had hardwood floors polished to a mirror finish except for the bathroom at the end of the first floor hallway where tile, porcelain, and glass reigned supreme. The thick wood beams and trusses used to make the house lent the entire place a faint scent of pine.

Nora made a sweep of her bedroom, the kitchen, and the garage for anything else she might need. Finding nothing, she locked the knob and deadbolt to the six panel steel front door to her house followed by the storm door, descended the steps of her deck and, got in her Jeep. She pulled down the long, wide gravel driveway stopping just long enough to open the large, ranch style metal double gate that swung from huge, wooden posts, pull her Jeep through, and close and lock it behind her.

Nora proceeded along a gravel road until it came to a fork. In one direction it went on as a gravel road towards town in the other, it narrowed to a dirt trail leading into the woods. She turned onto the trail putting her Jeep into four wheel drive low as she did.

Her old military dog tags, hanging from her rearview, jingled lightly as the SUV bounced and maneuvered over the trail. "Boy, do I need this vacation!" she thought to herself. "Nothing like a nice hunting/ fishing trip to soothe the nerves." she continued.

Ever since being discharged two years ago Nora had found civilian life difficult at best. She remembered the day bitterly. She had been filing her last combat report when her CO had approached her. "I don't know what this is about but, we're both wanted in the main conference room in five minutes." he had said returning her salute. "Yes sir!" she acknowledged. A few minutes later they could hear people talking as they approached the large, wooden doors to the main conference room.

"With the war over, our budget's been cut in half." said one.

"She's one of our most talented soldiers, but we just don't have the finances to keep her." said another.

"Her resume is quite impressive. You're sure about this?" said a third.

"The price is as we agreed." said a fourth.

"The sale of her contract will bring in more money than what her work for us during peace time would be worth." the first said.

There was a sigh and then the second voice spoke "Alright, send them in."

Nora remembered how she had hoped she'd misheard them. She also remembered the puzzled look on her CO's face. He had been a typical soldier; military haircut, sandy blond almost brown hair, and plain, nondescript features. This time however, his expression had said it all: "Did I just hear that right?"

"Commander Avery, Sergeant Frost, this way, please." a clerk, clearly a recruit by the looks of him, had led them in.

They had entered the room to find three older, grey haired, stone faced generals and a shorter, younger, tweedy man in civilian business attire gathered around the large, glossy oak table that stood in the center of the large, windowless, and otherwise plain room. They all saluted and one of the generals spoke.

"Come in, have a seat" he said. He gestured to the chairs nearest them and they sat. She had recognized his voice as the second she overheard. Nora realized that though he was trying to hold a neutral expression, he still had a look of someone with bad news. He was obviously the youngest general with a full, thick head of hair but, it was all a dull grey and his face was as heavily lined and stony as the others.

Once seated, he had appeared to gather his thoughts glancing at the other generals. They had stared back at him, their faces completely impassive and unreadable. He had looked down at the table and then back up at her before speaking.

"As I'm sure you're already aware, the war being over means we need to down size." he said with a tone of uncertainty in his voice. Nora nodded silently. He glanced around again at the other generals clearly uncomfortable. Their looks only said that they had put him up to whatever dirty work was about to go on and that he'd might as well continue and get it over with. He let out a mournful sigh, appeared to brace himself, and continued.

"Sergeant Nora Frost, you are hereby being honorably discharged from the military. As of this moment, you are a civilian. All classified information is to remain classified as is any other information that would be considered vital/dangerous in the wrong hands. Do you understand?" he asked his face clearly in an expression of forced neutrality.

"Yes, sir." Nora spoke almost shakily. She felt like the air had been sucked out of her lungs as she turned several shades paler than when she had entered.

"Sir, Nora is my finest soldier. Without her, my operations will be considerably more difficult." said, Commander Avery. He glanced helplessly back and forth between Nora and the generals hoping that one of them would recant what had been said. Their stony expressions remained frustratingly unreadable. After a tense, awkward silence, Nora spoke again.

"Six hundred kills not counting my helicopter missions and not a single civilian casualty to my name. Ten years, for ten long years, I have trained, fought, and, sacrificed without second thought or complaint and, this is how I am treated?" Nora's voice was soft but clear and shook with utter rage and torment. She glanced around the room, glaring daggers at each of them in turn, except her CO. They all averted their eyes and stared down at the table unable to bring themselves to meet her gaze. When no one spoke, the tweedy business man broke the silence. His voice had been the fourth she had overheard.

"I, I, If I may." he stuttered clearly afraid of what a well trained soldier might do in Nora's position. "M, M, My name is Thomas Braden. I'm with Apex Entertainment Industries. I've been to more than a few of your USO shows and, when I caught word of what they were going to do, I couldn't waste the chance to make them and you a very good offer."

"An offer?" Nora asked still reeling from shock.

"Yes. If you want, we can sell your contract to Apex Entertainment and you would work for Mr. Braden." Said the general seated closest to the civilian business man.

"Being a soldier is all I have ever known. Performing for the USO has always been a way for me to blow off steam with the added benefit of entertaining other soldiers. What would I do?" Nora had asked trying to conceal the storm of emotions in her mind.

"My agency lines up shows and work for artist, writers, and performers. You would be assigned to various show venues and commissioned to do various writings, paintings, and sculptures. It would all be based on requests from our clients, what skills our employees have, and what work is available. For instance, if a ballet troupe suddenly needs another dancer for whatever reason, they call us and we, in turn, call one of our employees such as you, for example, and assign you to the ballet troupe until they get a new dancer of their own or buy your contract from us. The same process applies if a restaurant or art center wants a new sculpture or painting. You keep your current retirement package and insurance. Please, consider it. We'd pay you well; at least equal to what you are making now plus commission for each assignment." He finished nervously, almost flinching as if he expected Nora or Avery, who had been scowling disapprovingly at how his best soldier was being discharged so unceremoniously throughout the proceedings, to hit him.

Nora remembered how at first she wanted to throw his offer out the window and storm out of the room. However, jobs were not easy to come by especially for a hardened soldier like herself. Her retirement savings, at that time, would only have lasted her a year or so not to mention finding a place to live. She had stood there silently for a moment considering her options. At last she hung her head, sighed, and said "Ok, where do I sign?" with definite resignation in her voice.

"Good. I knew you'd see it our way" said the general seated next to the one who had first addressed her. He slid several documents and a dossier containing Nora's discharge papers across the table.

"You sign the top page bottom line." said Braden quietly

"There." Nora said as she signed it her long, straight white hair momentarily obscuring her face from the others.

"That will be all. You are dismissed." said the oldest looking general.

"You start for Mr. Braden beginning next week and will be granted ninety days to find off base housing. Thank you, Sergeant Frost, for your years of dedication. May your future be a bright and happy one. Best wishes and good luck." said the general who first addressed her as he stood and gave a salute then offered his hand to shake.

"Thank you, sir." Nora said her voice quiet and emotionless as she returned his salute and shook his hand as he offered it.

Nora shook hands with Commander Avery before leaving the room. "Sir, it has been an honor to serve with you." she said with a salute.

"The honor has been mine." he said a little shakily as he returned her salute.

Nora remembered how she had left the room feeling so betrayed by the high brass she had thought about packing and leaving that very night. She didn't and ended up finding her dream home in Alaska three weeks later. A decision she was grateful for to this day.

She shook her head as if to chase the bad memories away after all, this was supposed to be a vacation to help her relax. She had been having a recurring nightmare of a battle in front of a large ornate building like a palace. The battle was gory and gruesome. The nightmare always ended the same way: Nora fighting a tall blond man in a grey suit with a cape and getting run through at which point Nora would inevitably wake up sweaty and shaking. It felt like she had been there before somehow but, she could not remember ever seeing a building like it in real life. Her doctor said it was most likely PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) and that she should try to relax and that the dreams would probably pass. Nora took the advice but had not been able shake the feeling that these were not ordinary dreams. Like it or not, when she was honest with herself, as stupid as it was, these dreams were another reason she had decided to go on vacation.

She guided her Jeep up several steep embankments before coming to a clearing. She cut off her engine stepped down, out of her Jeep and took in a deep breath as she looked around. "Ah, nothing like fresh air, beautiful scenery, and peace and quiet." she thought as she took in the large, towering pine trees and glistening, snow covered peaks of the surrounding mountains.

She pitched camp and checked the footage from her trail cams that she had uploaded on her laptop earlier that day. A heard of moose had been frequenting a nearby valley and, she saw they were led by a trophy bull. She took her binoculars from their black, leather case and sung their strap around her neck. She unpacked her rifle and her shot gun and loaded each with ammo. She slung the rifle over her shoulder and the shotgun across her back. She packed some ammo for each and headed along a footpath to start her hunt tackle box and fishing rod also in tow.

She walked a short distance to a nearby stream and casted in. She caught a ten inch salmon on her first cast. The fish hit her line hard and put up a surprising fight. Despite its struggles and multiple attempts to bite her when she went to take the hook out of its mouth, the fish ended up on Nora's stringer where she put fish that would later become dinner.

She caught several more similarly sized salmon that also ended up on her stringer. On her last cast something slammed her line like nothing else. There was a tremendous splashing in the water as a huge salmon tried to fight being reeled in. It was thirty inches long with a hooked jaw indicating it was a male. He was enraged and thrashed about wildly trying to break her line. He jumped his bright colors shining in the sunlight and landed back in the water with a splash. He did an amazing, fast run darting between numerous underwater boulders and rocks. Nora, however, was too skilled. She gave the fish slack and let him tire himself out before reeling him in. He snapped and thrashed as she tried to remove the hook from his mouth. She took a pair of wire grips and deftly pulled it out before he had the chance to react. The trophy salmon joined the dinner fish on the stringer as Nora walked back to camp pleased with her catch, although his final destination would ultimately be a spot on a wall in Nora's trophy room.

Nora loaded the fish into a waiting cooler full of ice. She then untarped and unloaded her snowmobile from its trailer. A twist of the key and she was up another trail leading to an outcropping overlooking the valley where the trophy bull and his harem were grazing lazily in the afternoon sun. The scent of pines and aspens hung in the frosty air like a fancy perfume. Snow glistened as the moose pawed at the ground and grazed on the grass underneath unaware of Nora watching them through her binoculars perfectly camouflaged lying on her stomach amongst several low, scrubby bushes atop a ridge overlooking their pasture.

Nora lowered her rifle into position and waited for the bull to give her an opening. She blew a call to get his attention. The ploy worked. He trotted forward, then turned broadside as he bugled back trying to find the source of Nora's call. Nora's finger rested gently on the trigger as she prepared to take her shot.

Out of nowhere there were suddenly the yelps, cries, and screams of a canine as if it were being butchered alive. There was a thunderous roar and the sound of branches breaking in the forest behind where Nora was hidden. She rolled onto her back instinctively bring her rifle up just in time to see a large, grey wolf running top speed and yowling like crazy as it desperately tried to escape none other than an enormous Kodiak bear.

The bear roared as it lumbered through the brush after the wolf. It stood on its hind legs and, with one powerful swipe of its massive front paw, knocked the poor, retreating wolf into a nearby tree. The wolf hit the tree hard and fell to its base where it laid still. The bear was not finished. It instantly spotted Nora and charged at her.

The bear roared and growled boomingly as it sped toward Nora. In an instant, Nora fired a shot from her rifle then swiveled her shot gun around from behind her back and fired three more from it effectively dropping the marauding bear in its tracks. The massive beast lay dead only a foot from where Nora stood.

Nora turned in time to see the moose stampeding over a distant rise scared off by the booming reports of her guns. She let out a disappointed sigh as she turned back to survey the scene of the bear and wolf. To her amazement, she heard a faint whimpering coming from the direction of the fallen wolf.

Knowing full well that injured animals could be quite dangerous, she approached slowly, irritation written clearly on her face, with her rifle drawn and aimed right at the wolf's heart. The wolf was indeed alive but quite obviously injured. It tried to move but wined loudly, clearly in too much pain to do so. Several gashes along its flank marked where the bear had made contact. The wolf's eyes grew as large as saucers with fear when it noticed Nora approaching.

"You stupid wolf! You cost me a trophy bull!" Nora raged as the realization set in that her hunt was more than likely ruined for time being. The helpless wolf whined searching Nora's face for any sign of pity. After a tense moment, Nora sighed and lowered her gun. "I guess it's not entirely your fault." she said glancing over at the downed bear. The distant hum of an approaching snowmobile became audible and grew louder as someone drew near. As the familiar colors of an Alaska state trooper came into view, Nora rolled her eyes and looked over at the wolf. "Great, just perfect. It's gonna be real fun trying to explain this one." she grumbled sarcastically.

"Alaska state troopers!" the trooper called as he dismounted his snowmobile and walked up on the scene. Nora put her guns on the ground and showed her hands up in the customary display of compliance as the trooper looked from the bear to the now shivering wolf, and finally to Nora.

"My name is trooper Dalson. I just want to talk to you. Would you mind telling me a little bit about what happened here today?" he said cordially as he offered his hand to shake.

"Not at all officer but, you probably won't believe me when I tell you." Nora said a little nervously as she shook his hand.

"I've seen plenty. Just start at the beginning" he suggested.

Nora recounted the whole story right up to where the trooper pulled up.

"Wait a minute!" she exclaimed doing a face palm. "I forgot my camo has a built in body cam. It probably caught the whole thing on tape." she said as she unzipped a small pocket on the front of her snow suit to reveal a small usb camera, its lens peering through a readymade opening in its pocket. She removed it and handed it to the waiting trooper.

Camera in hand, the trooper walked back to his snow mobile and plugged the usb cord of the camera into a port on a laptop he pulled from his pack. There, sure enough, the entirety of Nora's trip replayed as they watched. The fish, all legal catches, one by one reeled in and stowed in the cooler at camp, the moose grazing as Nora lined up her shot, and finally the wolf and bear.

"Ouch, poor wolf." the trooper said glancing in the whimpering canine's direction. He unplugged and handed back Nora's camera and she stowed it in its pocket. "If I can just see your ID, fire arms registration/permits, hunting license, and fishing license, we'll wrap this up."

"Sure thing. Here you are." Nora said as she handed the trooper the requested documents. "If I have a bear tag, will I have to use it?" she asked.

"Unfortunately, yes. You were actively hunting at the time, even though it was self defense. Do you have one?" asked the trooper as he looked over Nora's ID.

"Yes. Here it is." Nora said dejectedly her head dropping as she handed it over. "First year I drew one too. What a rip!" she continued plaintively.

"I know how you feel. Everything seems to be in order just make certain you harvest the entire meat and pelt. There's a twenty thousand dollar fine for wanton waste. Now, to the wolf." he said matter of factly as he handed Nora back her licenses.

"Actually, this wolf is either very stupid or very lucky. I work for the Denali area canine rescue and rehabilitation center. I started there about two years ago to supplement the income I receive from the talent agency I work for." Nora said as she showed him her work ID.

"That definitely makes my job a lot simpler." the trooper chuckled. "Need any help with her?" he asked.

"Thank you, but, I have a first aid kit back at camp. I'll bandage her up and take her to the center for further treatment. Once she's well enough, I'll release her at the edge of my property and she can decide where she wants to go from there." she explained.

"Sounds good to me. I'll check back on her in a couple of weeks. Here's my card with my number and the number of the nearest station if you have any questions. You have a nice day." he said kindly as he mounted his snow mobile.

"Thank you. You, too." Nora said as she took the business card and waved good bye to the departing trooper.

She took a game drag and rolled the bear on to it, which took a lot of effort. She pulled her snowmobile around and secured the drag to it.

"Ok, you. You're next." she said to the wolf. She carefully hefted the wolf across her shoulders. The injured animal made little protest but for a small whine. She had bled a decent bit from her wound but had not lost enough blood to be in shock yet. Nora knew, however, that would not be that way for long.

She sped her snow mobile back to her camp with the bear bouncing this way and that as it was dragged along. The wolf shivered every now and then as she rode along on Nora's shoulders.

The ride was difficult. The extra weight of the bear meant the snowmobile lost some speed and maneuverability and, with the wolf on her shoulders, Nora had to adopt a hunched posture to prevent the unfortunate canine from falling off. This made steering and seeing where she was going a challenge.

At last, they came to the camp. Nora rapidly but carefully eased the wolf down on the tarp she had used for the snow mobile after spreading it out on the ground. She retrieved a first aid kit from her Jeep and opened it up. She took a large cotton cloth, some peroxide, and a large roll of bandage material and went right to work.

"Hold still. This is probably gonna sting quite a bit." she said as she placed a reassuring hand on the wolf's side. She wiped the wound gently and sure enough, the wolf yelped loudly and snapped at Nora's hand with a growl. "Do that again and you're a dead wolf!" Nora said severely pointing at the canine's face sternness written clearly on her own. The wolf moved her head back and whined submissively. "I know. It's ok." she reassured the hurting animal in a calmer tone. "Now for the bandages." she said with an air of someone intently focused on the task at hand.

She proceeded to wrap the bandage around the wolf's middle several times until the entire wound was protected by several layers of bandaging. "That ought to hold you until I can get you stitched up properly." Nora said confidently.

"Drink some water. It will help with the shakes." Nora said noticing the first signs of shock starting to set in. She took a vile and a syringe from the first aid kit and drew a clear, liquid medicine from the vile into the syringe measuring it carefully. "A shot of adrenaline should also help." she said taking the wolf's paw in her hand.

The wolf gave a small yelp at the injection but otherwise made no move to bite or escape. The poor creature's breathing was noticeably labored and she lay on her side not lifting her head much except for Nora's first aid and offer of water. Nora knew she had to hurry.

She proceeded to pack up camp as quickly as she could while the wolf lapped up water from a makeshift bowl fashioned from half a gallon container.

Nora used ratchet straps to secure the bear to the roof of her Jeep and loaded her snow mobile back onto the trailer tarping and securing it as well. After loading the wolf gently into the back seat, Nora hopped in and started the engine. She made her way back down the trail as fast and carefully as she could.

At the fork, she took the road that lead into town. "You really are either very stupid or very lucky." she said looking at the wolf in her rear view mirror. "Not every wolf can cost a huntress a trophy bull moose and live to tell the tale. That moose was gonna be my meat for the winter, you know, and his head was gonna be added to my trophy room. What's more, I had bear all last season after a friend at work took one and could not use all of it." she said as the wolf gave her an innocent look from the backseat.

They drove for a short time and ended up at the outer edge of Fairbanks city limits next to a large sprawling building on a large fenced in plot of land. The sign out front had a silhouetted wolf howling at the sky with the letters DACRRC the words Denali Area Canine Rescue and Rehabilitation Center below them. "We're here." she said and quickly took her work Id and swiped it through a card reader to open the front gate. She pulled through, parked, and quickly rushed the wolf inside.

A shorter woman of Inuit decent with black hair and a kind face greeted her. She appeared to be at least a decade younger than Nora. "Hi, Nora. I thought you were on vacation." Her eyes became big with apprehension as she saw what Nora was carrying. "Oh, my, what do we have here?" she said in a curious tone.

"Hi, Sandy. Vacation got cut short. I'll show and tell later. Right now, this wolf needs our help. Prepare the x ray machine and ready IV fluids." Nora spoke urgently.

"Right!" Sandy clipped and quickly set about the tasks. After a quick x ray and an IV, Nora and Sandy helped the wolf into a waiting kennel with a soft bed inside. They let her rest briefly while they stepped into another room with a lighted panel on the wall. They put up the x ray photographs, switched on the light, and waited for the vet on call to come in.

He entered a moment later. He was an older man, grandfatherly in both manner and appearance with the exception of his white lab coat. He adjusted his glasses and looked at the x rays. "Now, tell me, what exactly happened again?" he asked.

"Yeah, Nora, I didn't even get to hear this one yet." Sandy chimed in.

"Well, you see, I was hunting and just as I was about to take my shot, this bear came chasing her and hit her against a tree." Nora said not expecting them to buy it.

"I see." said the vet turning back to the x rays while an amazed Sandy was lost for words. "It looks like she has several broken ribs and a fractured vertebra here, here, here, and here." he said pointing to several clearly broken bones on the x rays. "The vertebra is actually held in place pretty well. The fracture only goes a tenth of the way through." he said examining one of the X rays.

"However, four of the ribs are broken all the way through and will have to be pinned in place until they heal to prevent them from puncturing anything vital. We'll give her twelve hours of rest and probably a transfusion before we perform the surgery. Voiding any horrible infection, she should make a full recovery in due time." he finished reassuringly.

"Thank you Dr. Curtis. I'll help set up her transfusion and stitch her wounds. Then, I'm gonna go home and get some rest. I'll be back in time to assist with the surgery." Nora said yawning as she realized how sleepy she was. Indeed, she had left her home early in the morning and now it was well past dark.

"Ok. See you then." the doctor said kindly as he moved to the next room for his next patient.

After a brief wrap up with the wolf to ensure stitches and transfusion were in place, Nora knelt and gave the wolf a soft pat on the head. "Behave yourself and get some sleep. You're safe here. I'll be back soon." she said warmly, carefully closing the wolf's kennel as she stood up.

The next twelve hours were foggy. Nora went home, ate a small salmon dinner, strung the bear up, and processed it. She hung the cuts of meat in her smoke house out back and laid the pelt out to dry. She off loaded her snow mobile and put all her gear away. Yawning through all this, at last Nora got cleaned up, set her alarm, and immediately fell asleep in her bed.

The next thing Nora knew, she was startled awake by her alarm. She quickly grabbed a green Monster energy drink from the fridge in her kitchen, slammed it, brushed her teeth and hair, and was out the door in a flurry of scrubs and car keys.

At the rescue center, Nora walked in with plenty of time to spare. "We're about to prep her in ten minutes" Sandy said.

"OK. I'll scrub in." Nora said hurriedly. She washed her hands with a sterilizing agent and dawned latex gloves.

"We're ready for her in OR number two." the vet said poking his head around a corner from where Nora was administering anesthetic to the unfortunate wolf.

"Ok. We're just about ready here too." Nora said stroking the wolf's paw as she began to nod off. "That's right. You just relax and have a nice sleep. We're gonna fix you up good as new." she said reassuringly to the drowsing canine.

Once the wolf was under, Nora wheeled her into the operating room. The surgery was strait forward enough; an incision in her side and four pins, one for each broken rib then, stitching, sterilization, and a funnel collar. After about two hours, all was said and done. All that remained was to wait for the wolf to wake up before administering pain killers.

"Once she's up, she can recover at my place" Nora said to the vet.

"Ok, that sounds perfect." He agreed.

Inside her kennel, the wolf began to stir and whine.

"Sounds like somebody's awake." Nora said peering in. "I'll get the pain meds." she continued.

After a brief post op exam and a dose of pain meds, Nora took the wolf home. "I'll catch you later, Sandy." Nora called as she headed out the door.

"Ok. Call me later, alright? We're all meeting at Tony's Grill for dinner."

"Sure thing. Later." Nora said happily as she toted the wolf out to her SUV.

When she got home, she carried the wolf inside and set her down gently. The wolf stood shakily and looked around with a sniff. She limped over to a table with a small ten gallon aquarium on it. Inside, a small ball of black and white, fluffy fur was curled up in a nest in a corner. The wolf sniffed curiously.

The creature, apparently smelling and hearing the wolf, stirred and began to sniff around as well standing on its hind legs. The face and head were black all the way to its shoulders with thin, peach outlining around its eyes and its rounded ears were pink with black spots. The rest of its body was white with a small, black spot in the center of its shoulders and a large black spot on its back fading to a peach then brown at the edges.

It definitely smelled the wolf because it twitched its nose rapidly in the wolf's direction and then opened its mouth hissing in typical prey animal response to a predator. The wolf rested her chin on the table and starred at it longingly.

Nora, whose back had been turned hanging up her coat, stomped over.

"Don't even think about it." she said sternly and removed the hamster to a higher spot on a nearby shelf. She picked the hamster up petting his long fur to calm him. "See? This is just my little buddy, Smoke. He's not food and he's not a toy." she said tersely as she replaced the hamster in his cage.

She walked over to where the wolf sat watching her. "Now let's get a look at you." she said looking over the wolf's bandaging. "That's funny; I don't recall us putting these here." she said noticing a pair of band aids in an x on the wolf's forehead. "Must be some joke of Sandy's. Here, I'll remove them." she said as she gently peeled them off.

"Wow, a blue crescent moon marking, how pretty!" Nora exclaimed.

The wolf blinked confusedly several times then spoke. "Thank you, Nora, not only for the nice compliment but for also saving my life and reassuring me every step of the way. I promise I won't try to bite you or eat your pet hamster." she said in a warm friendly tone.

Nora's jaw hit the floor. She rubbed her eyes disbelievingly. "I must be losing it. A talking wolf! I really must have PTSD!"

The wolf spoke again. "You're not losing it, Nora. My name is Sitka and, I come from the kingdom of the Blue Moon which inhabited Earth's moon about several thousand years ago. When our kingdom fell, our queen sent me and all the rest of her subjects to the distant future on Earth. You were our top warrior and I've been searching for you for some time now. I was watching you hunt when that bear attacked me. I must admit, I wasn't sure if it was you at first but, now I am certain. I must thank you for removing my band aids with them on, I could not talk nor could I be certain of a positive ID on you."

Nora listened, her mouth still agape in amazement. She shook her head confusedly. "Wait a minute. What do you mean? I've never heard of any kingdom on the moon and how is it you can talk?"

The wolf shook her head "I guess it will be easier to show you." she said and tilted her forehead downward slightly. A brilliant beam of light emanated from the crescent moon marking and after a moment a small, silver wand with an ornate, blue crescent moon on top appeared in thin air and fell right into Nora's hands.

In a rapid, shimmering flash of light and memories it all came back to her. Nora blinked several times staring at the wand. "I remember this. I know what this does. I know how to use this. I remember you too. How is that possible?" she asked Sitka.

Sitka chuckled "It seems you've gotten some of your memories back. Why don't you give it a try?" she said indicating the wand.

Instinctively, Nora held the wand high over her head and shouted "Sapphire Prism Power!" In a whirling flash of light and ribbons, Nora was transformed into Sailor Sapphire Wolf.

"My uniform. I remember wearing this and somehow being able to fight better. This is too weird." she said looking herself over in a nearby bathroom mirror. The top was blue and the skirt was white as well as the collar. Blue boots replaced her shoes and her hair was adorned with two blue stripes. She wore a silver tiara with a blue, upturned crescent moon in the center on her forehead. A white bow with a blue button in the center adorned her chest and another white bow decorated the small of her back just above her skirt. A white chocker with a blue crescent moon laced her neck. White, wrist length gloves and crescent moon earrings completed the outfit.

"Listen to me. You are Sailor Sapphire Wolf, sworn defender of the blue moon kingdom and ally to the silver millennium. You must find and secure the infinity sapphire. It is a powerful stone of unlimited energy. It must not fall into the wrong hands. It too was sealed away when the kingdom fell. You must secure it for the princess. Only once the infinity sapphire is secure will the princess be revealed. Only you have the power necessary to complete this task. You will need to find the twin wolf blades in order to accomplish your mission. They are extremely powerful swords that only you may wield. As with the crystal, they must not fall into the wrong hands."

"Wow, that's a lot to take in." Nora said trying to absorb it all. "And you're sure I'm the one you've been looking for?" she asked uncertainly.

"Yes, no mistake." Sitka said definitively.

Meanwhile at Denali Canine Rescue:

A red-haired woman walked into the front public lobby. "Excuse me, but, do you have any dogs up for adoption?" she asked a veterinary assistant, the name Sandy on her name tag.

"Sure, right this way, please." the Alaskan native said cheerily.

Sandy led the new arrival through a large set of swinging double doors into a large, cement floored room with many cages of all sizes.

"All of the dogs and puppies in this room are fully groomed, vaccinated, spayed or neutered, and ready for adoption. Feel free to have a look around. When you've found one you like, come get me at the front desk." she continued kindly.

Just as she was turning her back on the red head, she heard her say "I've found just the one."

Sandy turned around just in time to see the woman throw off her outer layer of clothes to reveal a white lab coat with a red and black outfit underneath. She spoke into a small communicator as she pulled out a strange, syringe like gun and aimed it right at Sandy.

"Eugile to Dr Tomoe; target acquired."

"Excellent, bring me the pure heart." a man's voice replied

"What are you doing?" said Sandy, her eyes wide with fear.

"Nothing you'll care about in a few minutes." Eugile said in an evil tone as she took aim.

Sandy turned to run but, Eugile was too fast. She fired her shot before Sandy could run a single step. The small blast of concentrated energy pierced her back forcing her heart crystal out through her chest. She gave a scram of pain and fell to the floor unconscious.

Back at Nora's house:

Nora heard Sandy's voice; "Sure, right this way, please."…

"Sitka, I think my friend is in trouble. What do I do?"

"Hurry! You must help her!" Sitka said urgently.

"We'll take my Jeep." Nora said bolting out the door Sitka following as quickly as she was able. They pulled up at the rescue center not five minutes later and dashed inside just in time to see Sandy collapse after being shot with a strange looking gun held by a red haired woman with three pony tails. Nora hid around the corner of a doorway, observing her, while Sitka concealed herself behind a row of empty kennels. The woman examined a crystal that floated above where Sandy lay.

"Darn! No treasure! The doctor won't be pleased." she said to herself.

"You shouldn't have done that! Now, you'll pay!" Nora spoke in an angry, almost dark tone as she stepped into the middle of the doorway. It enraged her to see someone hurt her friend and, she decided to confront this evil redhead. Eugile spun around in Sailor Sapphire Wolf's direction a look of annoyance on her face.

"Who are you?" she asked before noticing the trademark scout uniform. "Another one? So, you awful scouts aren't only in Japan. How annoying!" Eugile said in a high pitched, snobby tone.

"Invited by the frozen wilderness, champion of Loyalty and Independence, I am the Sailor Scout of the Northern Mountains, Sailor Sapphire Wolf! I don't know anything about Japan but, on behalf of the Blue Moon, I will stop you!" Sailor Sapphire Wolf called with a flourish.

"Not likely, sailor trash!" Eugile spoke smugly as she placed a white suitcase on the floor. "Heart snatcher, Canis, come forth! Destroy this worthless heart crystal and this puppy scout!" the brief case opened and smoke began to pour from it until it filled the room.

Sailor Sapphire Wolf could not see anything. After a moment, the smoke cleared to reveal a horrible looking half dog half human like monster with black fur around its wrists and ankles. It had black fur on its head and dog ears. It stood like a human and, its body was shaped like a woman's but, it had dark, grey skin.

Canis wore a white t shirt with a black star in the middle, grey Capri jogging pants, and black heels. She wore an evil smile on her almost human face and spoke in an ominous tone. "Here, puppy, puppy, puppy." The creature then laughed a horrible laugh as she charged Sailor Sapphire Wolf.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Eugile fled with a mocking laugh of her own calling out "Have fun, Sailor Puppy! Be seeing you!" as she dashed out to the side parking lot and sped away in a small, white SUV with the same black star as on Canis's shirt on its side and license plate.

Sailor Sapphire Wolf scarcely had time to register the red head's escape before dodging Canis's attack. The monster swung around for a second strike and this one connected with Sailor Sapphire Wolf's side knocking her across the room where she hit a wall then the ground hard.

Sailor Sapphire Wolf was far from done. She got to her feet a bit shakily and went on the attack. She landed a number of kicks and punches which seemed to, at least, stun the crazed heart snatcher. They traded hits over and over, neither side gaining any ground. Instinctively, the scout changed form into a large, white wolf launching a vicious offensive. Canis ducked, dodged, and countered multiple times before slamming Nora into a row of empty cages. Nora switched back to human form getting to her feet very shakily.

Sitka watched from her hiding place as the battle raged on. "Sailor Sapphire Wolf, use your sapphire coffin attack!" she called as she dodged a falling IV stand knocked over by the still fighting scout and her horrid opponent.

Sailor Sapphire Wolf heard her canine guide's yell and, a sudden memory came flooding back in the blink of an eye. She dodged another onslaught from Canis diving for cover as the monster picked up a section of empty fixed kennels ripping the very bolts from the wall and hurled it at her.

She rolled forward to her feet and stood with a glare of defiance on her face. She brought her arms out to her sides with her palms face up. Bringing her arms in front of her with her palms apart but facing each other, she called her attack.

"Sapphire Coffin!"

Sapphire colored sand appeared from everywhere and enveloped the evil monster leaving only its face exposed.

Canis wore a look of utter confusion and struggled fruitlessly to escape. Sitka emerged from hiding and took her scout's side cheering "Excellent work! Now, finish it! You know what to do."

Sailor Sapphire Wolf smiled and nodded at her guide hands still held toward the imprisoned monster. "Right!" she agreed determinedly. She turned to face the still captive heart snatcher with a triumphant smirk. For a fraction of a second, Canis's face was all fear. Sailor Sapphire Wolf called her finishing move as she clenched her fists.

"Sapphire Burial!"

With a boom of thunder, the blue sand surrounding the heart snatcher instantly caved inward with unimaginable crushing force. It completely enveloped the creature crushing it into nothing. As the sand began to vanish, not a trace of the wicked heart snatching monster remained except a small, bronze dog statue that stood where Canis had just been. A diamond shaped seed fell out of the statue and cracked on the ground releasing a small, eerie wisp of smoke that quickly dissipated.

Sailor Sapphire Wolf looked around the clinic. It was quite the mess, for sure, but, none of the animals had been hurt and, none of the damage was irreparable. Her attention quickly turned to her friend still unconscious on the floor her heart crystal hovering above her.

She ran to Sandy's side with Sitka following and gently turned her over checking her wrist for a pulse. A scarily faint beat rewarded her efforts. She turned to Sitka almost in tears "What do I do? How do I help her?"

"You must return her heart crystal to her." Sitka said urgently.

Sailor Sapphire Wolf gently took Sandy's heart crystal in her hands and held it close over Sandy's chest. With a flutter of wind, it floated back into place fading from view. With a groan, Sandy began to stir slightly. Sailor Sapphire Wolf could not help herself from smiling ear to ear.

"She's going to be ok!" she rejoiced with great relief.

"Yes. Now, we must leave quickly before she comes to. Remember, she doesn't know you are a scout and, it's safer for her not to." Sitka spoke hurriedly.

"Point taken." Sailor Sapphire Wolf replied as she stood and followed her guide out the door.

She let her transformation dissolve as they crossed the parking lot to her Jeep. Nora helped Sitka into the back seat and, they made the short trip home. Later, Nora joined a recovered Sandy and her coworkers at the restaurant. The dinner was pleasant and, she and Sandy got to talking as they left.

"I came to later and, it looked like the place had been ransacked but, none of the animals were hurt and, nothing was stolen." Sandy recounted.

"Wow, you're lucky that psycho didn't do anything else." Nora replied. "Are you sure you're ok?" she asked as they left the Grill.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Sandy affirmed. "I'll see you tomorrow." she added as she departed toward her car.

"See you then." Nora called as she strode toward her Jeep.

Back at home, Sitka briefed Nora on their next move.

"You did very well today. I'm very proud of you. However, I would not say this enemy is gone for good." Sitka said in a subdued tone.

"That woman, what did she say again? She mentioned sailor scouts, plural, as in more than just me. She also said something about Japan." Nora spoke as she replayed the battle in her mind.

Nora sat on the large leather couch in her living room while Sitka sat across from her on a large cushion on the floor placing the two almost at eye level with each other. They remained deep in thought for several long moments.

"First off, tell me everything you know about any other sailor scouts. Second, tell me everything you know about this enemy. I need to know as much as possible, Sitka. If you want me to trust you, I need you to spill." Nora said with the air of someone trying to make up their mind about something.

"Ok, as far as other scouts go, I do remember others. They were our allies. Each one was from a different planet in our solar system. Most of the nearest ones were friends with the princess of the neighboring Silver kingdom, whom we shared the moon with. I don't remember their faces very well and, I'm not certain what became of them after the last battle. Queen Serenity, who ruled the Silver Kingdom, very well could have sent them to the future here on Earth. If she did, I have no way of knowing where they may have ended up so, it is possible that they ended up in Japan. Since the enemy mentioned other scouts and Japan, I would definitely start there." Sitka spoke trying not to leave anything out.

Nora nodded listening intently. "What about the enemy?" she pressed.

Sitka shrugged her shoulders and sighed disquietedly "Unfortunately, you know as much as I do. They don't appear to have any connection to queen Beryl. I have no idea where they came from or what their plans are. I'm sorry, but I'm at a loss." She finished in a concerned tone.

"Very well, I guess that settles it. We're going to Japan. I have a couple of gigs there next week and, after that, I was going to vacation there as well." Nora said having decided her next move.

"Gigs?" Sitka questioned.

Nora smiled and explained. "Apex entertainment has booked me for an exhibition match against Nina Worthington at Tokyo Arena and a concert at the Sky tree Concert hall. I learned martial arts in the military and, I still perform for the USO every so often. Both events are benefiting the Hope for a Cure foundation. They are a charity that aids doctors, hospitals, and patients in dealing with many very serious illnesses."

Sitka nodded understanding "A very worthy cause. Let's be certain to gather as much info as we can while we are there. It might also be wise to see if we can find any other scouts in case this enemy is more than we can handle alone."

Nora shook her head in agreement. "I was just thinking the same thing. If the enemy is cruel enough to kill or try to kill an innocent person for their own gain, who knows what they might be capable of."

One Week later: Tokyo, Japan:

Nora's flight was uneventful and she went about the bland tasks of checking in to her hotel and picking up her talent pass without incident Sitka accompanying her all the while.

Elsewhere in Tokyo:

"Hey guys, guess what!?" said a tall, green eyed brunette wearing a pony tail excitedly to a group of her friends as she joined them in a room at Tokyo's Hikawa Shrine on Cherry Hill. A table with many books, papers, drinks, and snacks was positioned in the middle of this group making it obvious that this was an afterschool study session.

"What is it Lita?" asked a blue eyed blond wearing an odango hair style.

"Yeah, Lita, spill. Is it a boy? Is he cute? Do you have a new boyfriend?" asked another blond with blue eyes paler than the first and a red ribbon in her hair.

"It had better be good for you to be late. Even Serena managed to be on time for once." said a raven haired girl dressed in shrine robes.

"That's not fair, Rei, I'm on time to lots of things just not everything! Quit being so mean to me!" wailed the blond who had spoken first.

"Come on, Lita, tell us. I bet it's a tasty new recipe!" said a much younger pink haired girl with red eyes and an odango hairstyle similar to Serena's but shorter.

"Come on, guys, let Lita speak, if you want to know so bad." said a girl with blue eyes and short, blue hair.

"Amy's right. You're all behaving like it's the first time one of you has come with some sort of news." a black cat with an upturned, gold crescent moon on its fore head said in a woman's voice.

"You can say that again, Luna. Poor Lita can't get a word in edgewise, especially with Serena and Mina spazzing out like this." A white cat with the same crescent moon as Luna said in a man's voice.

"What was that, Artemis?" Mina threatened in an annoyed tone.

"Nothing!" Artemis quickly recanted in a nervous tone.

"I'm participating in the martial arts benefit for the Hope for a cure Foundation. Lots of martial artist will be there but, the main event is an exhibition match between Nora Frost and Nina Worthington! It's at the Tokyo Arena and, tickets are sold out but, I managed to get you all some just in time!" she said barely able to contain her enthusiasm.

"Nora Frost, I've heard of her. Not only is she a renowned fighter but, she is known for her art and musical performances all over the world." said the blue haired girl.

The others all stared at her.

"Leave it to Amy to know everything." said the blond with the red ribbon.

"That's ok, Mina, I just wanted you all to come and see my match and then, afterward, we could all watch the main event together. Nina Worthington is supposed to be a very tough opponent. It's bound to be a great match. The tickets are also good for the music benefit at Sky Tree Concert Hall later the same evening and Nora Frost will be the featured performer there as well. I figured we could make a day of it. " Lita smiled putting one hand behind her head and laughing a little.

"I think it's great that you're competing in a charity event, Lita." The little pink haired girl squeaked before turning to Serena. "Please can we go? I really want to see the charity event. I've heard some of Nora's music on the radio. Her voice is really beautiful! I've never seen her in person though. They say she lives in a remote part of the United States." she finished almost dejectedly.

"That's right, Rini, it's also rumored that she's ex military. I've seen a few news articles here and there about her." Rei spoke with an air of faint memories coming back.

"Ok, we'll go. It'll be fun." Serena answered with a warm smile.

"Yay! Let's see if Darien wants to go too." Rini cheered.

Meanwhile in a café across town:

"Michele, I got our tickets for the benefit. Nina Worthington is going up against Nora Frost in the main event. I think she might be the heart snatcher's next target." said a tall, short haired blond woman to her demure friend sitting across from her. Her brow furrowed and her green eyes narrowed with concern.

"I know. I think she might be a possible target as well. It was nice of you to get me a ticket but, I'm performing as well as Nora Frost and a number of others at the music part of the benefit so, I don't need one. I already have my talent pass." Michele spoke kindly her wavy aqua hair and sea green eyes sparking in the sunlight from the window.

Amara laughed a little "Michele, you always were one step ahead. I guess I better find someone to give this ticket to." she sighed as she looked out the window.

Later at an arcade:

"What! What do you mean you can't come? Darien, the music will be so romantic. You just have to come!" Serena pleaded with a handsome, black haired man.

"I don't have a ticket." he replied awkwardly.

"Oh No! I messed up bad! I'm so sorry, Serena." Lita pleaded. "I completely forgot to count Darien when, I bought the tickets."

"Are you talking about tickets for the charity benefit?" Amara asked walking up on the group alongside Michele.

"Yeah! We're one ticket short." said Serena

"Well, it just so happens you're in luck." Said Michele

"We bought two tickets when we only needed one. Michele is performing at the benefit." Amara said with pride as she handed Serena the ticket.

"Thank you." Serena said gratefully as she accepted the ticket.

"We'll see you there." Michele said sweetly as they walked away.

"They're sweet kids. I think it was nice of you to give them the extra ticket." Michele praised Amara.

"At least, we know it won't go to waste." Amara replied as they strolled onward.

The next day, somewhere in the headquarters of the Bureau of Bad Behavior:

A phone rang and, it was answered by a woman in a lab coat.

"Bureau of Bad Behavior: Eugile speaking." she said in a high pitched voice.

"Have you found our next target? The sovereign is growing impatient with your failures." a man's voice spoke on the phone.

"Oh yes, Dr. Tomoe, our next target is a female martial artist from England. She's in the main event at the charity benefit today against Nora Frost." she said confidently, ignoring the laced threat on her job.

"Excellent. Maybe, I'll catch the event myself. I'm sure she'll be willing to donate her pure heart to our cause. I'll send over the appropriate diamond heart snatcher right away. Get a move on." He said with an evil laugh.

He hung up the phone and watched with an expression of wicked glee as the machinery in his lab cranked out a heart snatching monster and packaged it in a white case with a black star on the side. The case was promptly loaded into the back of Eugile's waiting SUV. After buckling up, Eugile sped away like a mad woman off to find her target.

That afternoon at Tokyo Arena:

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Hope for a Cure Charity Event. We have some splendid match ups for you here today. In addition to ticket proceeds, each fighter's sponsor will make a donation based on their performance in the ring. Without further ado, let's bring out our fist contestants!" the announcer called to a packed arena.

Everyone cheered as the first contestants took to the ring. Serena and company cheered and watched several good matches as they waited patiently for Lita's match.

"And now, Lita versus Sharon! Let's have a big round of applause!" called the announcer.

"Hey everybody, Lita's next!" said Serena excitedly.

Serena and the whole group stood and cheered as Lita made her way to the ring clad in her gi. Lita waved to them before turning her attention to the match. Sharon was not as tall as Lita and had short, wavy red hair and green eyes.

"Ready, Begin!" called the referee.

Lita and Sharon traded punches and kicks back and forth several times before, finally, Lita got the upper hand. The crowd cheered loudly at the impending victory. With a spin and a quick jump kick, Lita won. The audience roared their approval. Serena and the rest cheered and clapped.

"Wooohoo! Way to go Lita!" Serena Cheered excitedly.

"What a match! Thank you both." the announcer said to Lita and Sharon as they exited the ring. "And now, the main event, Nora Frost versus Nina Worthington! Nora hails from Fairbanks, Alaska in the United States. She's served with the armed forces and continues to perform for the USO." the announcer stated. "Nina comes from Liverpool, England where she heads her own dojo. Let's have a big round of applause for our main event!" the announcer finished as they made their way to the ring. Nina had strait, shoulder length strawberry blond hair and brown eyes.

The bell sounded and the match began. Nora and Nina circled each other looking for an opening. Nora was determined to win. She made the first move aiming a kick at Nina's midsection. Nina dodged and countered with a kick of her own. It was Nora's turn to dodge, which she did successfully, and, as she did, she came around with a right hook that connected. Nina went down then sprang back up and landed a left cross in Nora's midsection. The match went back and forth as the crowd watched in anxious anticipation.

"Wow! She's really awesome." said Lita as she joined her friends still wearing her gi.

"Lita, you were amazing!" said Rei

"Thanks, but, I haven't been at it as long as these two have." she said as Nora landed a particularly nasty elbow in Nina's side.

Nora fell as Nina spun and foot sweeped her. She rolled out of the way just in time to avoid being put in a hold and seized the opportunity to lock in a hold of her own. She locked in tight clearly not going to give up her grip on her grimacing, squirming opponent any time soon. After several long moments of fruitlessly trying to escape Nora's hold, Nina tapped the mat in defeat. The bell rang and the crowd cheered.

"And winner by submission, Nora Frost!" the announcer called as Nora shook hands with her opponent before turning to the crowd and raising both fists above her head in victory.

"Thank you everyone for coming and, don't forget you can see Nora Frost and many other great Performers, including Michele Kaioh, tonight at Sky Tree concert hall." the announcer finished as Nora and Nina left the ring.

Nora changed in the locker area and prepared to leave. She came across Nina doing the same. "Hey, that was a really good match out there. Several times, I almost thought you had me. You're a really good opponent." Nora said shaking Nina's hand. They began to walk toward the exit.

"Thanks, you too. You're style is amazing. If you aren't too busy, do you want to get some sodas together?" Nina asked. "I'm super thirsty after our match."

"Sure, why not?" said Nora as she pushed open the door. Unbeknownst to her, a certain red head with three pony tails was in attendance and had set up an ambush with Nina's name on it her SUV parked strategically to line up the best shot. The trap was sprung as soon as the door opened. Eugile fired her heart snatching gun from her driver's seat out the driver side window striking Nina directly in the chest and forcing her heart crystal out through her back.

Nina let out a scream of pain and fell to the ground unconscious. Nora dashed out of site feigning fear.

As Serena and her friends were leaving the arena, they heard a scream. Sensing danger, they took cover and transformed each calling their respective planet's energy.

"Mercury Star Power!"

"Mars Star Power!"

"Jupiter Star Power!"

"Venus Star Power!"

"Uranus Planet Power!"

"Neptune Planet Power!"

"Moon Cosmic Power!"

"Moon Prism Power!"

In a spectacular flurry of lights, waves, fire, and ribbons they took their scout forms. They raced around the side of the building in the direction the scream had come from.

Eugile got out of her SUV and laughed as she approached. But before she could collect her prize it was snatched away in a blur.

"Not you again! Why can't you quit ruining our plans?" Eugile said with an air of frustration as she turned to face the scouts.

"You've failed again, Eugile. This is indeed a pure heart but, that's all it is. It contains no treasure." Neptune said smugly as she tossed it carefully back to its rightful place where it returned and faded out of view.

"Ha! Serves you right for trying to ruin a noble fighter's life." sneered Uranus.

"You hear that, Eugile? That means you're moon dust!" called Sailor Moon.

"That's right!" the others joined in unison.

"I've had enough of you scouts and your grand standing. Pugilist, step up, now, and take care of these obnoxious sailor brats once and for all!"

The back of her SUV opened and smoke began to pour from the case containing the heart snatcher. Once it cleared, an ugly monster built almost like a woman stood beside Eugile. It had green hair pulled in a ponytail. It wore white sports clothes. On its shirt was the back star of the heart snatchers. It had purple skin and wore red open fingered fighting gloves.

"They're all yours! Take them out!" Eugile said as she got in and sped away.

"Gladly" said the monster in a metallic, gravel like voice. "Who's first?"

"That would be me!"called Uranus

"Uranus World Shaking!"

Uranus unleashed her attack as she stepped forward with her fist in the air bringing it to the ground to unleash a golden orb of energy at the monster.

The monster dodged and countered with a punch that sent a metal duplicate of its glove hurling like a missile right for the sailor scout of the sky. Caught off guard, Uranus didn't have time to dodge. She was knocked to the ground with a pained yell.

"Uranus!"The scout of the sea called out to her friend before unleashing her attack.

"Neptune Deep Submerge!"

It just barely missed. Neptune barely managed to dodge Pugilist's counter attack and rushed to Uranus's side. Uranus got to her feet shakily with Neptune steadying her. The crazed heart snatcher closed in looking to take advantage.

"Sparkling Wide Pressure!"

Jupiter launched her attack hoping to use the creature's distraction against it. Pugilist reflected the attack off her glove right back at Jupiter sending her flying backward.

"Shine Aqua Illusion!"

"Venus Love Chain Encircle!"

"Mars Celestial Fire Surround!"

Sailors Mars, Mercury, and Venus combined their powers for a triple attack which also bounced off the heart snatcher's gloves back at them sending them flying backward to land on top of Jupiter who was trying to get back up.

"Give it up. You can't beat the best!" the monster taunted them

"Oh, yeah? We'll just see about that!" called Sailor Moon.

" Moon Spiral Heart Attack!"

Sailor Moon spun an intricately carved pink and gold wand putting all her energy into her dodged only to be greeted by Tuxedo Mask's cane. They traded hits a couple of times. They locked up momentarily then the heart snatcher pushed him back. He came to stand beside Sailor Moon.

"She's too strong! This is bad!" he said urgently

The other scouts were just barely to their feet their uniforms scuffed and tattered when the evil heart snatcher pulled a dirty trick. She sent gloves flying in all directions only these enlarged and entrapped anyone they hit griping them in a fist. They managed to find Tuxedo Mask and each of the scouts, except Mini Moon.

"Let us go you coward!" yelled Jupiter.

"Not a chance." replied Pugilist with an evil laugh.

The trapped scouts screamed in agony as the giant gloves electrified them.

"Pink Sugar Heart Attack!"

Mini Moon spun a small, pink wand of her own and summoned her attack in a last ditch effort to free her knocked the wand from her hand knocking her to the ground.

"Run, Mini Moon!" called Sailor Moon

"Leave her alone! It's us you want!" added Tuxedo Mask.

The monster advanced on the now frightened scout in training. Luna and Artemis rushed out of hiding and jumped at the evil being biting and clawing. The heartless villain shook them off hurling them against a nearby tree where they landed at its base, stunned.

"Luna!"

"Artemis!"

Sailors Moon and Venus called the cats' names in worry.

Nora had been watching from around a corner nearby joined by Sitka.

"There really ARE other scouts. Sitka, I've got to help them!" Nora said hurriedly.

"Just be careful!" Sitka cautioned.

"Right!" Nora agreed.

"Sapphire Prism Power!"

In a flash, Nora transformed into Sailor Sapphire Wolf and, taking wolf form, entered the fray.

The vicious monster, no longer distracted by the guardian cats, loomed over Sailor Mini Moon a cruel smile on its face. Pugilist drew back her fist preparing for her finishing move. It looked like the end. Before the heart snatcher could finish its awful deed, the small scout vanished in a white blur.

Sailor Mini Moon barely had time to register the scent of pine and ice and the sensation of teeth tugging her uniform before she was yanked away from the wicked heart snatcher. She found herself being placed very gently on the ground nearest Sailor Moon and Tuxedo mask.

"What just happened?" she said confusedly staring around.

"Mini Moon?" Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Moon questioned in unison at her sudden reappearance next to them momentarily forgetting their struggles to get free.

A large, white wolf appeared standing between Pugilist and her still trapped victims. The wolf glared at the creature and growled menacingly showing rather large teeth an upturned, blue crescent moon gleaming on its forehead.

"No way, a wolf!" said Sailor Moon in surprise as she continued to try to struggle free.

"Yeah, and it doesn't seem to like heart snatchers." Tuxedo Mask noticed as he too tried to get free.

The other scouts watched in stunned amazement as this wolf continued to take a protective stance between them and their captor. None of them had ever seen anything like it.

Nora growled angrily as the heart snatcher drew near. Luna and Artemis watched in shock after slowly getting to their feet and registering the new arrival.

"You don't scare me!" the creature scoffed.

Nora lunged at the monster and latched onto her arm with a snarl. Her weight was enough to bring Pugilist into a slumped over position with her arm still firmly in Nora's jaws. With all four feet on the ground, Nora shook her head back and forth growling, the heart snatcher's arm still held firmly between her teeth.

With her free hand, Pugilist punched Nora hard dislodging her and knocking her into the side of the arena building. A huge bite mark was left on the creature's arm where Nora had clamped down. Stunned momentarily, Nora changed back into Sailor Sapphire Wolf.

"That wolf is a sailor scout!" Uranus gasped in disbelief

"That explains her not liking heart snatchers." Tuxedo Mask noted.

Nora stood up straight slowly and turned to face her enemy, glaring defiantly at the evil creature.

"Invited by the frozen wilderness, a champion of Loyalty and independence,I am the sailor scout of the Northern Mountains, Sailor Sapphire Wolf! In the name of the Blue Moon, I will stop you!" she called.

"Not likely." the creature sneered.

"Wanna bet?" said Sailor Sapphire Wolf confidently a smug smirk on her face.

"Sapphire Coffin!"

she summoned her attack her gestures smoother and more practiced than last time. The blue sand engulfed the over confident Pugilist. Only her face remained exposed. Sailor Sapphire Wolf strode up to her now captive enemy. As she approached, she leaned in close, her face inches away.

"What goes around comes around." she said slyly with a triumphant smirk.

A look of utter fear was etched on the evil monster's face as Sailor Sapphire Wolf took a step back.

"Sapphire Burial!"

With a thunderous boom, the sand collapsed inward with super crushing force. The only thing that remained of the enemy was a title belt. A diamond seed fell from the belt and cracked open releasing an eerie but quickly dissipating small wisp of smoke.

All the other Sailor scouts were now free. Sailor Sapphire wolf watched as they dusted themselves off. Uranus and Neptune had an odd look of nervousness on their faces.

"It's really her. I was a fool to think she'd been destroyed in the final battle on the moon." Uranus said in angst.

"Wait a minute. You know her?" questioned Sailor Moon with a glance in Sapphire Wolf's direction.

Sailor Sapphire Wolf could hear their every word but stayed at a distance. She was content to let them come to her, if they wanted. They had been through enough and, she did not want them to mistake any advancement on her part as a threat. Sitka came to sit beside her scratching idly at the plastic, funnel shaped collar that she still had to wear, fur starting to cover the scars from her bear attack and subsequent surgery. They listened while the rest of the scouts chittered and chattered amongst themselves trying to decide what to make of the new scout.

"The Blue Moon Kingdom shared the moon with us as allies. She was their most powerful warrior. If fully awakened, though, she could destroy the universe." Neptune breathed warily.

"Why would she wan to? She seemed way happier destroying that heart snatcher." noted Jupiter.

"Yeah, and I don't sense any evil in her." added Mars.

"Maybe, she wants to join forces." offered Venus.

"It doesn't make any sense. If she was our enemy, wouldn't she attack us, now, while she has the chance?" reasoned Mercury.

"I don't know. What do you think?" Sailor Moon consulted Tuxedo Mask.

"We don't know her, so, any assumptions we make about her are likely to be riddled with inaccuracy. We should be careful but, we shouldn't just write her off from the start." he said wisely.

"Look! It doesn't matter! The bottom line is she's dangerous!" Uranus yelled silencing the whole group.

"She can't be that bad. She saved me and all of you, too, when she didn't have to. That makes her one of us in my book. I'm going over to thank her." Mini Moon said determinedly giving Uranus a bit of a glare before marching right up to Sailor Sapphire Wolf and extending her hand in friendship.

Sailor Sapphire Wolf watched the pink scout approach and shook hands.

"Thank you for saving me and my friends. I don't know what we would have done without you." she squeaked with a smile.

"No problem, kid." the wolf scout replied with a smile of her own.

"Who's your friend?" she asked noticing Sitka.

"My name is Sitka. Nice to meet you." the guardian wolf dipped her head as Mini Moon scratched behind her ears.

The others approached following Sailor Mini Moon's example.

"How are you able to turn into a wolf?" asked sailor Moon.

"Where did you come from?" asked Mars.

"We have so many questions. I'm sorry but, we just don't know where to begin." apologized Mercury.

"It's ok. I can't tell you everything but, I can tell you that I don't mean any of you any harm. I'm out to destroy the heart snatchers, recover the twin wolf blades and, find and protect the infinity sapphire for my princess." Sailor Sapphire Wolf explained.

"Who is your princess?" Sailor Moon could not stop herself from asking.

"I don't know and I won't until I find the infinity sapphire and make certain that evil doers can't get it." her answer was stoic as if the thought overwhelmed her.

"You may seem friendly ,now, but, only time will tell if you stay that way." Uranus butted in

"Don't count on us lowering our guard on your word alone. If you become a threat, we will put an end to you. See you around." Neptune added as she and Uranus departed.

"Don't mind them. They don't even trust us yet." Sailor Moon apologized.

"It's fine. I've got trust issues of my own so, I know how it is." reassured Sailor Sapphire Wolf.

"Listen, I've got to get going. It was nice meeting all of you." She continued remembering the concert.

"Will we see you again?" asked Mini Moon.

"You bet!" Sailor Sapphire Wolf answered with a smile before leaping away.

The group stared after their new ally as they watched her and her guide go.

That night at the concert:

"And now, Nora Frost and Michele Kaioh performing "Let it Go" from Disney's Frozen originally sung by Idina Menzel." the announcer called.

The crowd applauded and then listened intently. Michele began with a beautiful violin intro and Nora began to sing. "Snow glows white on the mountain tonight. Not a footprint to be seen. A kingdom of isolation and it looks like I'm the queen…."

"Wow, her voice IS really pretty, Rini." Serena said in awe.

"Let it go. Let it go. Can't hold it back any more. Let it go. Let it go. Turn away and slam the door. I don't care what they're going to say. Let the storm rage on. The cold never bothered me any way….." Michele and Nora performed the first refrain flawlessly.

"I know. Isn't she wonderful?" Rini admired from her perch atop Darien's shoulders.

"You definitely have an ear for talent." added Rei.

"You can say that again." chimed Lita. "Just Listen to her."

"Let it go. Let it go. I'm one with the wind and sky. Let it go. Let it go. You'll never see me cry. Here I stand and here I'll stay. Let the storm rage on." Nora finished the verse as Michele continued on the violin.

"Do you think Sailor Sapphire Wolf will become our friend? She sure seemed nice." Rini reflected.

"I hope so, Rini. I sure hope so." Serena answered also reflecting on the day's events as she listened to the beautiful song.

"I'm never going back. The past is in the past. Let it go. Let it go. And I'll rise like the break of dawn. Let it go. Let it go. That perfect girl is gone. Here I stand in the light of day. Let the storm rage on. The cold never bothered me any way." Nora belted ending on a smooth note.

Michele and Nora finished the popular tune to a standing ovation. Although the heart snatchers were still out there planning and plotting, they let themselves enjoy the moment and bowed to the audience. The chaos of the afternoon had given way to a peace that would last the remainder of the evening.

AN: Congratulations! If you're reading this, that means you've made to the end of the chapter and you are a real trooper. Hope you've enjoyed the story so far. I didn't mean for this chapter to be so long at first but, Sailor Sapphire Wolf, her story, and her place in the time line have been formulating in my imagination since 2010. I'm very happy to be giving her form at long last. I hope I have done all the characters from the original anime justice. As you should be able to tell by now much of the scene structure and the civilian names of the other scouts are all based on the English dub by DiC and Nora is entering the picture roughly in the middle of the heart snatchers story arc. This is because, for one, I speak English and find the names easier to work with when writing (although I love Japanese food and culture) two, it gives me a decent structure to work with, especially when setting up action scenes, and, three, whenever I have tried to imagine when and how another scout would have entered the scene, this is just what seemed most natural and logical. I'm hoping to produce shorter, more frequent chapters (and, trust me, the action and drama only ramp up from here) but, as my life is very busy, I can't make any promises. Thank you for reading and, I'll see you next chapter.


	3. The Past, Present, and Possible Future

AN: High there and welcome back! Sorry for the long wait. Long story short real life has been hectic to say the least. My family has been adding on to our home and I have been helping to clean, renovate, and install flooring. I've been having to squeeze writing in when and where I can. For all those new to this story you may wish to catch up so take a moment to read the prologue and chapter one and we'll see you back here shortly. For those who have followed along so far, the action heats up as the scouts try to figure out who's a friend and who's an enemy. Sides will be taken as the story ramps up so keep reading. And Remember: All disclaimers remain the same as last chapter and all trademarks and property (intellectual and otherwise) belong to their rightful owners. The Cameos of smoke in this chapter are based on behavior he actually used to do in real life (I laughed until my sides ached many times he was so cute and funny) and is dedicated to his memory. (Smoke aka my little buddy c June 2015 -Jan13 2016) Hope everybody is enjoying the story so far. I've got loads more where the last chapter came from so, stick around and read on.

The Past, Present, and Possible Future

Several nights after performing at Sky Tree concert Hall:

Nora tossed and turned asleep in her bed at the Tokyo Central Inn and Suites. She was fighting the white haired man in the grey uniform and cape again only this time something was different; instead of waking up in the end she woke up where she fell at the ruins of what looked like what was once a palace. She stood up and stared around but, nobody was in sight. No soldiers from either side alive or dead were anywhere to be seen and everything was eerily still and quiet. Nora took in her surroundings. The once great palace was reduced to a crumbling shell. Ruble covered the ground here and there in heaps. There were no trees or plants and no animal life either. The ground itself was nothing but dirt and grey dust. Suddenly, she noticed a vague silhouette darting around the corner of a crumbling wall and through what once was the main entrance to the palace.

"Wait!" she called out as she gave pursuit.

As fast as Nora tried to run, the shadow always remained just far enough ahead to remain a mere, almost feminine outline skirting the crumbling stone walls. After a number of twists and turns, Nora came to a dead end; a once beautiful decorative causeway, an elevated stone bridge of sorts, that stood between two of the castle's towers, had taken the blunt of a horrible blast and was largely collapsed and completely impassable. She could see the silhouette somehow standing on the opposite side. Nora wondered how that was possible and stared as it seemed to turn and face her. The figure was definitely that of a woman in a dress. Now that she had stopped moving, Nora was able to discern that much. However, all other details remained obscured in shadow. She seemed to move her hands to her mouth as if to project her voice across the gap in the bridge to Nora.

"Find the Infinity Sapphire! You mustn't let it fall into the wrong hands!" a woman's voice echoed.

Everything suddenly vanished in a whirlwind of fog. Nora woke with a start in her bed in her hotel room. She was sweating and gasped for air.

"What was that?" she wondered aloud as she began to catch her breath. She glanced at the alarm clock on the small, wooden nightstand by her bed. It read 2:00am. She smiled as she saw the outline of Smoke in his tank partially illuminated by the alarm clock attempting to climb his water bottle and losing his grip and falling on his back in the fluffy bedding only to get up and try again. Nora stretched and yawned and reached her hand in his tank to pet her hamster. He sniffed her hand and crawled into her palm. She held and pet him for a few moments before placing him back in his tank. She was still very tired but needed a few more minutes before she would be able to sleep.

Nora stood and walked across the room to go out, onto the balcony for some air. The noise of the sliding glass door woke Sitka who was curled up on a large, soft chair in the corner. The wolf stretched and followed her charge.

"Is anything wrong Nora?" Sitka asked.

"Just a dream. Sorry to wake you." Nora answered as she turned toward the sound of her mentor's kind voice.

"Again? That's the fourth time this week." The wolf spoke with concern.

"I'm fine. It was just a dream." Nora said yawning a little.

They stood side by side enjoying the beauty of the night sky for several moments.

"You should go out and have a little bit of fun. Maybe a chance to unwind will help you sleep better. I'll remain here since I would probably draw too much attention." Sitka suggested.

"Ok, Sitka. Tomorrow, I'll relax and check out some of the local shops and stuff and put these dreams completely out of my mind." Nora said with more of a yawn. Nora was now sleepy enough to dose off again so, with a final yawn, they walked back in and went back to bed.

The next morning at Hikawa shrine:

The sun shone brightly in the dazzling blue sky. The cherry blossom trees around Sendai Hill were in full bloom. Their pink petals cascaded elegantly from their branches. The wooden floors of the shrine buildings reflected the sunlight on their polished surface. The stone courtyard and steps that lead to the sidewalk below were swept perfectly clean. The Torri gate stood welcomingly at the top of the entrance as if to greet all who passed through. Rei, slid open the wood and paper door to her room to meet the others outside as she heard them walking up the steps. She had been expecting them and, from the sound of their chatter, everyone was on time. She stood near the top of the steps as they approached everyone still clad in their school uniforms. The red pants and white top of her shrine robes fluttered in the breeze along with her raven hair. The wind played havoc with everyone else too and, Serena just barely managed to catch a stray paper that fell from her school bag almost taking a tumble down the steps in the process eliciting a few laughs from the group. Once everyone was settled, the group gathered together in a loose circle.

"Ok, everyone, Uranus and Neptune wanted me to call a meeting so we could discuss how to handle the new scout." Serena addressed the group before her with uncertainty.

"Why? Sailor Sapphire Wolf isn't bad. Mars didn't even sense any evil in her. Why do they distrust every new person they meet? They probably want to do away with her because her attack was a little scary. They're so mean!" Rini shrilled almost in tears.

"It's ok, Rini. They're probably just scared of her after seeing how she handled that heart snatcher. I bet after they get to know her they'll become friends. I vote we ask her to join up with us against the heart snatchers. Every person we have on our side is one less on theirs." Lita comforted the younger scout and voiced her opinion on the matter.

"She doesn't like the heart snatchers any way. Remember? She even freely admitted to wanting to destroy them so, that puts her on our side. She must be one of our own. I think Amara and Michele simply mistook her for someone else." Amy reasoned.

Darien and the others nodded and murmured their general agreement as Amara and Michele, also wearing their school uniforms, joined the meeting walking up the steps to join the group.

"We're all in agreement. Sailor Sapphire Wolf is another scout and deserves to be part of our group. We just haven't seen any evidence that she is bad so, we can't treat her like she is right out of the gate." Serena brought them up to speed.

They both frowned their brows knitted with concern.

"Are you sure you even have the right person?" Amy questioned

The group listened intently.

"Yes, there's no mistaking her. She's not fully awakened yet but, if she is, we're all doomed. At full power, she could destroy the universe." Amara spoke in a concerned tone.

"You mustn't let her get the infinity sapphire. If she does, it will be the end of everything." Michele added sorrowfully

"She said she doesn't want the infinity sapphire for herself. She only wants to secure it for its rightful princess. I don't think she even knows where it is." Lita stated.

"She might seem nice but, you mustn't forget what she is. Stay away from her at all costs!" Amara ordered with a yell.

"If you take her side, you'll doom us all. We will have no choice but to consider you our enemies as well." Michele emphasized.

The group was taken aback and speechless.

"How can you say that? She's another scout just like you and me." Rei retorted.

"Listen. During the silver millennium, she served as the scout of our neighboring kingdom, the Blue Moon. Our memories of her are foggy at best but, one thing we recall clearly is the knowledge that at full power she has the potential to be unimaginably destructive." Amara recounted hoping to talk some sense into the others.

"We'll be careful around her but; don't expect us to give her the cold shoulder like you." Rini squeaked testily

The others stood behind the future princess in silent agreement.

"If that's the best compromise we can come up with then, so be it but, if things backfire, don't say we didn't warn you." Michele warned icily.

"You might also want to warn your new friend that if she stands in the way of our mission to find the four treasures, find the two sovereigns of good, and stop the heart snatchers, she'll regret it." Amara's threat was cold and certain.

"It doesn't matter what sacrifices we have to make. The heart snatchers must be stopped and the Earth must be safe." Michele finished with a determined tone.

"Look. It isn't like we don't want new allies especially against an enemy like the heart snatchers but, there is an ancient prophecy dating back to the kingdoms on the moon that predicts the end of the world if she is fully awakened. Normally, I wouldn't put any faith in a simple prophecy but, the prophecies of the ancient moon kingdoms were known to be fairly accurate so, it's not something that can be so easily dismissed." Amara attempted a little diplomacy and turned to Michele.

Everyone listened intently.

"The wolf was born of the moon's sapphire. The wolf shall be the portal. Thus solitude shall claim and sire the end of all things mortal unless with blades and heart free from ire, the stone is claimed by its true royal." Michele quoted the ancient prophecy.

Serena and the others stood in silence for a moment absorbing the possible meaning behind it.

Amara broke the silence and once again addressed the group. "So, do you see, now, why she must not be allowed to obtain the Infinity Sapphire and reach full power?" She questioned.

"If she does, she will bring forth the sovereign of solitude and the end of the world as we know it." Michele said mournfully. "The sovereign of solitude is pure evil and merciless. No one will be spared." She finished.

The rest of the group stared in silence absorbing what Amara and Michele had said for several moments. At length, Luna stepped forward Artemis by her side.

"Perhaps we can talk to her wolf guardian, Sitka, and see if we can find anything else out about her. After all, as Lita said, she said she did not want the Infinity Sapphire for herself only to secure it for its princess." She offered.

"At the very least, we can get a feel for what she might be truly like." Artemis added.

"If you want but, you'll see everything we've said is true." Amara stood her ground.

"I won't let you hurt her! She isn't bad! You'll see!" Rini suddenly interrupted with an almost teary outburst.

"I sure hope so kiddo. I sure hope so." Amara replied in a big sisterly tone.

"Don't worry, Rini, Luna and Artemis will straiten everything out." Darien comforted placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Rini accepted his comfort with a little nod.

The two cat guardians left the meeting to seek out their wolf counterpart. The group watched as they darted out of site.

"We'd best get going too. We bought tickets to the theater to see Le Miserables and the play starts in an hour. We'll be in touch." Amara said brusquely and turned to descend the steps to the sidewalk below.

"Be careful. See you around." Michele added and followed Amara down the steps and out of sight.

"Well, now that that's out of the way…" Serena turned to the rest of the group with a smug grin, "guess who won a gift card to that new restaurant by the park at the arcade?" she held up the prize for everyone to see.

It read; Global Goodness: take a trip around the world in one meal! Featuring food from America, Mexico, Spain, France, England, China, Japan, and many more! $200 value. Nontransferable. Not for use with any other coupons, deals or offers. expires 30 days after activation.

"Serena, you shameless hold out, why didn't you show us that before!?" Rei raised her voice in irritation.

"I only won it yesterday afternoon." Serena wined defensively.

"I was going take everybody but, if you're going to be like that, you can stay, Rei!" She continued in a huff and blew a raspberry at the miko who immediately returned the gesture.

"Come on, guys. Please, don't fight. Let's all just go and have a good time. Some time to relax and unwind might help us clear our heads and focus better in our efforts against the heart snatchers." Amy appealed.

The two continued each determined to outlast the other. The rest could only hang their heads in embarrassment.

"I heard they have an amazing dessert menu" Lita added.

"Really?" Serena immediately broke her standoff with Rei

"Fine! but, I know you've had that gift card longer than that because I saw it on your night stand last time I visited your house and that was two days ago. I didn't want to pry in case it was a gift for Darien or your parents. Next time you hold out on us like that, I won't lend you any of my comics for a month!" Rei shot at Serena folding her arms across her chest, tilting her head up, turning on her heal to face away from Serena, and stomping her foot for emphasis.

Serena seconded Rei's body language with a jab of her own. "For your information, Rei, I wasn't sure what to do with it at first and only made my mind up this morning. I almost forgot I had it. I guess I did have it a couple of days ago but, I wasn't holding out on anybody!"

"Very well. Let's go and enjoy ourselves." Rei said in an almost apologetic tone.

"This will be so cool! I'll have to try my new dress!" Mina exclaimed beaming and putting an arm around each of her two reconciled friends.

"Yay! I can't wait!" said Rini happily.

"Let's all get ready and meet at my place in two hours. We'll all go over together." Lita suggested.

The group agreed and everybody set off in the directions of their homes to prepare for an evening of fun.

In an alley near Tokyo Central Inn and suites:

Luna and Artemis padded along sniffing trying to pick up Sitka's scent which they had been tracking from the scene of the last battle. They did not have to wait long as a shape dropped down in front of them from a fire escape.

"Hello, I picked up your scent from a window nearby and thought it might be you. What brings you here?." asked a kindly female voice as Sitka strode toward the cats.

"Well, we were hoping we could talk." Luna said as Sitka sat down in front of them her bushy tail swishing from side to side along the ground behind her while her blue eyes remained focused on the two cats her ears forward listening intently.

"We need to know as much as you can tell us about the Sapphire Millennium, the infinity Sapphire, and Sailor Sapphire Wolf." Artemis said taking Luna's side and sitting.

"Please, it is very important. A couple of the other scouts think that she could possibly be a worse threat than the heart snatchers. They want to keep her from finding the Infinity Sapphire which could leave it vulnerable to the heart snatchers or worse." Luna urged sitting beside Artemis and swishing her tail in stress rather rapidly back and forth.

Sitka considered them for a moment and nodded.

"I can tell you what I know but, my memories are not much more complete than Sailor Sapphire Wolf's." Sitka advised in her ever warm and friendly tone.

Luna and Artemis listened carefully as Sitka recounted what she knew of the Blue Moon.

"She was the strongest warrior of the Blue Moon kingdom. She trained hard and never hesitated to help the people of the Blue Moon or the Silver Millennium. She rose to command all of the Blue Moon's forces which she led against Queen Beryl in the final battle. I was not by her side but with queen Aniu during the final fight so, I was not witness to her final actions. We did speak before she left for the battle field. She was taking a battalion to the court yard to keep Beryl's forces out of the castles. I told her to be careful and she simply smiled and told me not to worry. I saw her collapse in the distance after a blast from the negaforce just before Queen Serenity and Queen Aniu used the Silver Imperium Crystal and the Infinity Sapphire to stop Beryl. I never saw her after that until we met on earth." Sitka recounted a touch mournfully.

"What is the last thing you remember doing on the moon if you don't mind my asking?" Luna questioned.

"The last thing Luna and I recall is talking to Queen Serenity and promising her to look after the princess should trouble arise again just before she put us in stasis and passed away as she sent us to the future on Earth." Artemis added.

Sitka nodded. "My last memories are surprisingly similar. I guess that is because of our similar roles in our kingdoms." She said reflectively.

Luna and Artemis listened intently as Sitka recounted her final moments on the moon. The wolf, herself, recalled vividly her final conversation with the queen…

Queen Aniu left her castle after a large blast caused it to partially collapse her wolf advisor, Sitka, by her side. She knew the battle was all but lost and, when she made it to the court yard in front of the palace, her worst fears were realized. She saw her daughter in the distance alongside Sailor Saturn but something was wrong. She seemed wobbly on her feet and was clutching her side which was stained with blood. Sailor Sapphire Wolf glanced in her direction, wobbled, and to the queen's horror, collapsed.

"NO! NORA!" the queen yelled as the tears filled her eyes. The venerable matriarch sank to her knees sobbing.

"Not the princess. My queen, we must get to safety." Sitka sobbed and nuzzled the queen in an attempt to comfort her and get her on her feet.

The queen pulled a deep blue, glowing gem from her dress pocket immediately catching Sitka's notice.

"No, my queen. Not that, please. We've already lost too much. We can't lose you too. If you use the Infinity Sapphire, it will drain all your energy." Sitka pleaded.

"I won't let it end this way. I'm sorry, Sitka but, there is no other choice." The queen slowly rose to her feet tears still streaming down her cheeks and held the Infinity Sapphire above her head.

"Sapphire Cosmic Power!" she called her ultimate attack.

In a blinding flash of blue light and a flurry of wind accompanied by blinding white light the negaforce was sealed away and Queen Beryl with it.

The evil queen gave one last yell as she was enveloped in the crystal's power. "What is this light?! No! I can't lose!"

Once the light faded and the wind died down, not a trace of the forces from the negaverse remained. Indeed, not a single living thing; neither plant, nor animal, nor person, was left save for Sitka and the queen. Smoke and rubble were everywhere. The once beautiful palaces lay in ruins. Everything was eerily still and quiet. Not even bodies of fallen from either side were anywhere to be seen. The ground itself was nothing but dirt and grey dust. Sitka thought she might could hear the voices of her counterparts of the silver millennium talking to Queen Serenity in the distance but, she could not be certain as her focus was entirely on her own queen and friend.

"You did it my queen. We've won." Sitka said in astonishment and relief stepping forward to take her queen's side.

Queen Aniu took a single, trembling step then collapsed her energy nearly gone.

"My Queen!" Sitka rushed to the fallen matriarch and managed to rest her against a downed pillar.

The queen stirred a little opening her eyes but her breathing was shallow and labored. Sitka moved closer and sat beside her. The queen raised a hand to pet Sitka's cheek. The wolf nuzzled her hand seeking comfort. "Please, don't go my queen." Sitka pleaded tears welling up in her eyes.

"I'm…. sorry… Sitka… don't… worry…. the princess and…. all the citizens…. will be sent to…. a distant future…. on Earth." The queen spoke in a weak and tired voice in between winces of pain as her body began to fail from lack of energy.

"Don't speak. Conserve your energy. You hardly have any strength left." Sitka pleaded almost sobbing.

"Promise…me, Sitka, you will…find and protect her…. if evil resurfaces…. she won't have any memories…of this time or place…. none of them will…. she will need you…even if she won't want to admit it…." the queen made her final request.

"Yes, of course, anything you name it." Sitka nodded sobbing in earnest now.

"Thank… you…. my friend…" the queen gave her gratitude and went still. The queen of the Blue Moon was gone. Her final unspoken thought lingering in her mind as her soul ascended to paradise: "Fair well my friend, Sitka. Nora, my daughter, may you and our citizens know happiness and love in your new life."

"Queen Aniu!" Sitka called to her friend upon seeing her go still. With only a split second to register her friend's passing, a final flash of blue light from the Infinity Sapphire sealed Sitka in a stasis capsule and sent her into the future on Earth.

"And those were my last moments on the Moon." Sitka finished her tale leaving Luna and Artemis nearly in tears.

"Our final moments with Queen Serenity were very similar." Luna recollected.

"Yes, but, how long was it before you met Sailor Sapphire Wolf? I mean how well do you really know her?" Artemis asked.

"I do not know how long my capsule was on Earth before it opened and I awoke but, thankfully, it was not too long after that I met her. By sheer luck it ended up not too far from her home. I was injured, in serious danger, and without access to my memories or my ability to speak then, she appeared, rescued me, and helped to heal my injuries. She is a very good person and, I owe her my life. You can tell the other scouts everything I have told you and that she means them no harm. We are on your side against the heart snatchers." Sitka recounted her first meeting with Nora leaving out any identifying details not wanting to reveal Nora's identity without permission first.

Sitka rose to return to the hotel. "I'm sorry but I must get going" she said kindly.

"Wait! What about the Infinity Sapphire?" Luna called out as Sitka strode back into the shadows of the alley. Both cats stared after her as she went hoping for an answer.

"We don't know where it is. Our only goal for it is to secure it for our princess and she will only appear once it is found. I know the prophecy speaks of evil and calamity but, trust me, the only way to stop those things is for the princess to use the power of the Infinity Sapphire." Sitka answered the question with her enigmatic knowledge of the prophecy before disappearing from view.

"How did she know about the prophecy?" Artemis asked staring at Luna confusedly. They were left to ponder what they had been told as they made their way back home.

Shopping and recreation district:

Nora walked along the sidewalk carrying a couple of shopping bags. She had spent the day mostly window shopping but had decided to buy a few things. In one bag, she toted a recipe book from a cooking shop, a dog brush, squeaky toy, and a small pack of apple wood chews for small pets. It was almost dinner time and she was getting hungry. She noticed a restaurant at the edge of a park the sign read: Global Goodness; Take a trip around the world in one meal; Now Open! She walked over and went inside.

The restaurant was nice with hardwood floors and many large potted plants. The wall decorations were a collection of pieces from all over the globe and included a Mexican sombrero, a Japanese fan, and a painting of the Eifel Tower among others. The atmosphere was somewhat upscale but casual which was convenient as Nora was clad in blue jeans and a black t shirt with a blue rose print on the front.

Flags from nations all over the world also decorated the walls as well as shelves with many statues from many different cultures as well. The smells from the kitchen and buffet were enticing and Nora's stomach threatened to give an audible growl. A wood podium stood not far from the entryway and a friendly faced, blond haired lady greeted Nora upon seeing her enter.

"Hello and welcome to Global Goodness. How many?" she asked

"One" Nora answered politely.

"Booth or table?" she inquired brightly.

"Either is fine." Nora replied cordially.

"Ok. This way and we will get you seated. My name is Sandra and I will be your waitress today." she led Nora to a small table along one of the side walls near a window overlooking the sidewalk outside. "Will you be having the buffet or ordering from our menu?"

"I will have a menu, please." Nora said politely.

"Ok and what will it be to drink?" Sandra asked.

"Sprite, please." Nora requested.

"I'll get your drink while you take a moment to look over our menu." Sandra said before walking to the kitchen.

She returned a few moments later with a glass of Sprite and set it on the table.

"Have you decided what you want to order?" She inquired.

"Yes. I'll have the sushi grand tour." Nora said.

"Excellent. It'll be about 15 minutes. Anything else?" Sandra asked amiably.

"No thank you." Nora replied kindly.

"Thank You." Sandra said before stepping away to attend to another table.

Out the window Nora could see people walking back and forth enjoying the park and surrounding shops. One group led by a blond wearing an odango hairstyle with long tails appeared to be approaching the restaurant. Nora decided to flip through her new recipe book while she waited for her order.

Outside Global Goodness Restaurant:

Serena and the others walked along the sidewalk in high spirits.

"I can't wait to see all the yummy food they have!" Rini said with excitement as she skipped in between Serena and Darien her pink dress swishing about as she went.

"I've heard they have huge dinner crowds. I hope they will have a table open." Amy said thoughtfully as she walked along in her casual, blue dress.

"Well I just hope we're all able to enjoy ourselves. We've earned it." Serena addressed the group at large her own casual dress (in pink of course) swishing about her feet as she walked.

Just as they were about to cross the street to the restaurant, two familiar figures appeared coming from the direction of the local theater. One clad in a dress suit the other in a fancy, turquois dress

"Hey, all. Out for some fun? Did you give what we said about Sailor Sapphire Wolf any further thought? Amara asked.

"We told you our stance on that already. We're not here for an argument. We're headed to try that new restaurant." Serena preempted her antagonism.

"What a coincidence, we were just headed there ourselves." Michele added in an attempt at friendliness. "We should all head over together."

"Sure!" Serena accepted Michele's offer glad for the group to have a chance to bond and hoping that a good meal would help to ease the tension among the scouts.

"Hey everybody, look who it is! Isn't that Nora frost? Lita pointed across the street to a woman with a somewhat youthful face, deep, blue eyes, and, strait, white hair in a black t shirt with a blue rose on the front seated at a table by a window of the restaurant thumbing through a book.

Everyone turned to look.

"Why, yes, it is. Do you want me to introduce you?" Michele offered the group.

"Maybe, but first we want to see what she is up to. I doubt such a talented singer is here alone. She must have a boyfriend and I want to know who it is!" Serena declared getting a certain familiar gleam in her eye.

"Serna, that's spying. It's rude." Amy protested.

"She won't want to talk to us if we make her mad." Rei warned.

"She's really cool. We should just go up and say hi." Lita suggested.

"I want to meet her."

"Me too." Rini and Mina joined in

"Come on Serena, let Michele introduce us." Darien pleaded.

"Either you're coming or not." Serena said and made her way to the restaurant door to sneak in. The rest of the group hung their heads in embarrassment. Serena waited for the attendant to be distracted by another customer, snuck in and positioned herself directly behind the, largest potted plant nearest to Nora the rest of the group behind her, Amara and Michele at the very back in a futile effort to put a stop to the potentially embarrassing situation.

"What do you see?" Mina asked.

"She seems to be sitting alone reading. The waitress just gave her a drink." Serena whispered to the others in a tone that she hoped no one else could hear.

Nora's POV

Nora flipped through the recipe book noting many different tasty dishes. She noticed the group led by the blond making their way to the restaurant door. She resumed reading a particularly delicious sounding recipe for lemon peppered trout.

"Here is your Sprite. Your food will be out in about ten minutes". Sandra set a glass of the clear, bubbling soda on the table in front of Nora.

"Thank you." Nora said happily.

Sandra nodded with a smile and returned to tending some of the other customers.

Nora heard a rustling behind the potted plant nearest her but figured she would ignore it. From the sound of it, it was that blond girl and her friends. Nora's training in the military had taught her how to identify people by the sound their footfalls made. She could also hear their whispering but could not make out exactly what they were saying. They were probably just shy and wanted to meet her. She figured she would let them show themselves on their own. After several more moments and reading through several more recipes, it became clear they weren't going to so, Nora decided to call their little game.

"I'm a huntress and an ex sniper. Sneaking up on others and not being snuck up on has been my business for 12 years. Did you really think I wouldn't notice you?" she said casually.

"How did you know we were here?!" Serena cried in surprise with a wail pointing an accusatory finger at Nora as she and the others revealed themselves.

"I'm sorry, Nora, I offered to introduce you but, they wanted to sneak over here and see if it really was you first." Michele apologized somewhat covering for the other scouts.

"No problem, Michele, so, tell me who are your friends?" Nora inquired taking in the group.

"This is Serena, Amy, Rei, Lita, Mina, Rini, Darien, and, Amara." She said indicating the blue eyed blond in a pink dress with an odango hairstyle, a girl with short, blue hair, and darker blue eyes in a blue dress, a black haired girl with dark almost violet eyes in a fancy red dress, a tall brunette with green eyes in a floral patterned green dress, a blond wearing an orange ribbon in her hair and a matching orange dress with soft, blue eyes, a much younger pink haired, ruby eyed girl in a pink dress with a hair style like Serena's, a kind faced gentleman with short, black hair and dark eyes wearing a black, semiformal suit, and a very tall woman with short, sandy blond hair and dark green eyes wearing a fancy, navy blue pant suit in turn.

"Well, it's nice to meet all of you. Why don't you all sit down?" Nora offered politely.

"We wouldn't want to impose. I mean I'm sure you're waiting on somebody and we wouldn't want to be rude." Lita said a bit nervously.

"Not at all. I just stopped in for a relaxing dinner. I'm not on a date or anything." Nora said amiably.

"Well, if you insist." Serena said taking advantage of the opportunity.

After another table and chairs were pulled together and everybody was seated, Serena could not help but ask the one question the others (save, perhaps, Mina) were hoping she would not.

"So you don't have a husband or boyfriend?" she asked brazenly.

"Serena, that's rude!" Rei instantly scolded with a dirty look that was mirrored by most of the faces around the table.

"Oh can it Rei!" Serena shot back with a glare of her own.

"I... was engaged once… but, he passed away." Nora said reflectively hovering momentarily on a deep pain that she refused to revisit for now.

"I'm so sorry." Serena said quietly.

"It's ok. You didn't know. It was a long time ago." Nora said in a happier tone shaking her head dismissively.

"So, what's it like being a big time singer and fighter? How did you first get into all of it?" Rini asked unable to hold back her curiosity.

Nora thought for a moment. "Well, I suppose it started when I was younger. I've been on my own for a large part of my life and, when I was younger, needed an outlet to help me cope. I got lucky that a kindly martial arts master took me under his wing and later the military also offered training. As far as the singing goes, when I was in the military, I found I needed a means of artistic expression and my fellow soldiers needed something to look forward to in order to help them keep going so, I started performing for the USO and it kind of took off from there."

The group listened with rapt attention.

"Are you really from Alaska? What is it like out there?" Amy asked.

"I was born in Colorado but, I have lived in Alaska for a couple of years now. It's beautiful. The weather and wildlife are definitely to be respected. The mountains can be dangerous if you are caught off your guard but, you're able to have more peace and freedom on your own land in the countryside than in a huge city. I wouldn't dream of living anywhere else." Nora spoke highly of her home.

"What's your favorite food? Do you cook?" Lita asked excitedly.

"That's an easy one." Nora laughed. "Nothing compares to either smoked salmon or lemon pepper trout and I cook sometimes when my schedule allows." Nora answered in an amused tone.

"Do you play video games? What's your favorite?" Mina asked being somewhat hyper.

"Yes I do when I get the time. I grew up with the super Mario and legend of Zelda series so, those are my top picks but I also absolutely love almost all other video games. The only thing that will put me off a game is if the content is really that poor, which is rare." Nora answered kindly.

"How often do you enter fights or perform?" Rei asked trying to keep a more professional demeanor than her friends.

"Whenever the talent agency that employs me finds me work which is usually two or three assignments a month. I also work for a canine rescue and rehabilitation center near where I live to help supplement in between assignments." Nora answered deliberately omitting all info about Sitka to protect her identity.

"What brings you to Japan? How long will you be here? Darien asked deciding to stay on a neutral topic to not be rude.

"I was assigned to the hope for a cure charity event. Now, I'm on vacation for a couple of weeks." Nora answered politely.

"What kind of car do you drive back home?" Amara wanting to ask without seeming overzealous.

"I have a 1998 Jeep grand Cherokee limited with the 5.9L magnum V8. It has a lift, flow master muffler, headers, k & n cold air intake, the works. I love it and I wouldn't trade it for the world." Nora bragged about her SUV.

"Ok, you guys, enough with the inquisition. I'm sure Nora doesn't feel like answering a hundred questions. It's rude to interrogate a person you've first met." Michele said half teasing.

Nora smiled amused at the taken aback looks going around the table in response to Michele's words.

"It's cool, Michele. I don't mind." Nora said with a laugh. "My turn now, though. So how about you guys? How did you all meet? Do you all go to the same school? And how did all of you meet Michele? And Lita, you were at the hope for a cure charity event as a fighter too? You won your match, if I remember correctly. Nice job." Nora inquired and complimented.

Lita nodded "Yeah that was me and thanks." She said beaming.

"Lita, Amy, Mina, and myself all go to the same school. We all kind of met either at school or the arcade and just ended up becoming friends. The arcade is where we first met Amara and Michele too." Serena answered the remaining questions.

"Amara and I go to the same school. We've been best friends since we were in preschool." Michele said happily.

"That's right. We've become inseparable over the years. It's almost like we were meant to be twins but just weren't born that way." Amara elaborated warmly.

"Wow. That's really cool. I think it's neat how you all became friends." Nora admired.

Sandra reappeared with Nora's order and soon took everyone else's. Everybody enjoyed digging into one of the tastiest meals they could recount in recent memory aside from Lita's snacks.

The evening was fun and enjoyable. Everybody was laughing, trading stories, and enjoying themselves. Indeed, Nora began to feel an odd closeness with the others despite having just met them. She couldn't quite explain it but, it was almost like getting reacquainted with old friends. When all was said and done, Nora paid her bill, Amara and Michele paid theirs, and Serena covered the rest with her coupon and a little extra money from her allowance.

"It was nice meeting you. We should meet again sometime." Lita said to Nora.

"Sure thing." Nora agreed.

"I've got an idea! How about we all meet up for a pick nick in the park at lunchtime tomorrow?" Rini asked the group excitedly

"I can make all the food. Wait till you taste my baking. You won't believe your taste buds." Lita announced enthusiastically.

The rest of the group voiced their general agreement.

"That's an excellent idea, Rini. Wouldn't miss it for the world." Nora said warmly.

"Michele and I have plans but, we'll try to stop by." Amara said before they departed.

Everybody returned home happy and in good moods after the evening of fine food and just coming together as friends. Serena was pleased that all the scouts seemed to be a bit closer despite their ideological differences.

Later that night at Tokyo Central Inn and Suits:

Nora relaxed with a cup of green tea on a recliner while Sitka enjoyed the squeaky toy Nora had bought her. Across the room, Smoke gnawed contentedly on a small stick of apple wood. Sitka rose after a moment and strode across the room to sit in front of Nora.

"I spoke with Luna and Artemis, the cat advisors to the other scouts, earlier today. I think we should discuss a few things." She said in a serious tone.

Nora placed her half full cup of tea on the small table to the side of her chair and sat upright raising an eyebrow slightly in question.

"Really? What's up?" Nora asked.

"They wanted to know anything I could tell them about you and the Infinity Sapphire. I told them that you are a good person and always have been and that you even saved my life. I also told them that we don't know where the Infinity Sapphire is nor our princess and that we only want to secure the Infinity Sapphire for our princess." Sitka recounted.

"Ok. So, what is the big deal? Sounds like you're starting to build some trust with them." Nora observed.

"Well, it's not that simple. You see, there is an ancient prophecy dating back to the kingdoms on the moon passed on to me by Queen Aniu that says someone, possibly you, will bring forth an evil that will consume the world unless the princess uses the Infinity Sapphire to stop it." Sitka stated.

Nora gave Sitka an incredulous look and smiled. "Sitka, I think you're worrying too much. I mean come on, it's me we're talking about here. You know me well enough to know I would never do anything evil not even to save my own life. We'll find the Infinity Sapphire before anything happens. We just need a lead. Did the queen give you any information that might be helpful?" Nora inquired.

"Sadly no." Sitka admitted hanging her head. "I can't remember the princess's face and the queen never got the chance to tell me where the sapphire might end up."

"Sitka, don't worry. We will find it and the princess and no dusty old prophecy is going to stop us." Nora said confidently comforting Sitka with a scratch behind the ear.

"Come on let's get some rest. Maybe we can do some research after I get back from the pick nick tomorrow." Nora said turning the lamp off and heading for bed.

The next day somewhere in the Bureau of Bad Behavior:

Behind a door marked Witches 5, a phone rang. A certain red head with three ponytails answered. "Eugile speaking." She said in a snobby tone.

A man's voice replied on the other end. "Tomoe here. Do you have the next target?"

Eugile typed a few commands in on a computer console initiating a search. A few seconds later it stopped on a screen displaying a picture and information about Sandra, the waitress at Global Goodness.

"Yes, doctor. I have a very promising target all lined up and waiting just give the order." She replied.

"Good. I want you to take the next heart snatcher and bring me the crystal treasures." Tomoe ordered.

"Right away, doctor." Eugile said about to hang up the phone.

"And, Eugile," The doctor continued.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Don't fail again. Understood?" he warned.

"Yes, doctor, of course." Eugile answered full of herself.

"Excellent. Now get going!" the doctor commanded hanging up the phone with a slam and turning to watch his machinery crank out another heart snatcher with evil glee.

A few floors above, in the bureau of bad behavior, Eugile collected a suitcase from a conveyor belt and hopped into her SUV to take off driving wildly to find her target.

At the park:

"High, all." Nora greeted the group already gathered around a large pick nick table.

"Nora! You made it!" Rini cheered rushing up with a hug to greet her new friend. Nora returned the gesture with a bit of a hug of her own and moved towards the pick nick table.

"Alright, Nora's here!" Lita cheered happily as she set several dishes of food on the table.

"Glad you could make it." Amy greeted with a smile.

"You got here just in time. We were just about to start." Mina beamed.

"As the guest of honor you get to sit here." Serena indicated a seat next to herself being a tad hyper.

"Serena, maybe you should let Nora sit where she chooses." Rei said in a tone indicating rising annoyance.

"So, enjoying Japan so far?" Darien asked politely.

"Sure am. This country is so interesting; I don't know where to begin." Nora praised.

The group enjoyed Lita's pick nick lunch with gusto and laughter. A half hour later, a familiar voice called from across the park.

"Hope we haven't missed all the fun." Amara called as she and Michele strode across the park toward the group.

"Yay! Now, everybody's here!" Rini cheered.

"Lita, your cooking is on par with a professional chef." Michele complimented a few minutes later after she and Amara had been seated and eaten their fill.

Out of nowhere, with a deafening screech of tires, a white SUV with a black star on the side and license plate sped to halt in front of the Global Goodness restaurant. Eugile jumped out and rushed inside with her syringe-like gun eliciting screams and panic from nearby bystanders. The group rose from the table in unison at the sight and sound of trouble, witnessing the eminent attack from across the park.

Nora looked up at everybody in confusion and glanced across the park at the sound of the commotion and saw the SUV.

"Nora, this could be trouble. You should probably get out of here." Serena said with seriousness.

Across the street Sandra ran from the restaurant with Eugile on her heals. As they ran past Eugile's SUV, Eugile opened the trunk and released the waiting heart snatcher.

"Chef step up now and bring me her heart crystal!" Eugile ordered.

Pink smoke filled part of the parking lot enveloping the SUV. Once it cleared, a huge, grey skinned, red eyed monster with short, purple hair and a masculine build dressed as a chef stood beside Eugile. Sandra scrabbled behind a car to escape but it was no use. Chef took several steps forward and hoisted the car above his head with an evil laugh.

"Consider your goose cooked!" the monster teased.

"What do you want with me?" Sandra begged her tormentors.

"Excellent work, Chef, now, let's get that heart crystal!" Eugile called taking aim at Sandra.

Chef tossed the car like a toy sending it careening across the park strait toward Serena and the others.

"Everyone take cover!" Nora yelled as the car rolled over their pick nick table crushing it and sending everyone scrambling for safety.

Nora jumped over another pick nick table and up ended it for cover. The others scattered taking cover behind nearby trees and under /behind several other pick nick tables. Without the others in sight or earshot, Nora prepared to transform and, away from Nora, the others prepared to do the same.

Everybody called their transformations

"Mercury Star Power!"

"Mars Star Power!"

"Jupiter Star Power!"

"Venus Star Power!"

"Uranus Planet Power!"

"Neptune Planet Power!"

"Moon Prism Power!"

"Sapphire Prism Power!"

Sandra tried to flee but, Eugile fired too quickly. An energy burst caught her in the chest before she could even turn to run. Sandra let out a single horrible scream of pain as her heart crystal was forced out and fell to the ground unconscious. Eugile took several steps toward the crystal but, in a flash, it was snatched up before she could even touch it.

She turned to see Sailor Neptune holding the crystal looking it over only to have it snatched from her grasp in a blur as the rest of the scouts approached. All eyes turned toward where Sandra lay. Sailor Sapphire Wolf appeared beside her holding the heart crystal and knelt down returning it to its rightful place.

Sailors Neptune and Uranus exchanged angry looks glowering at Sailor Sapphire Wolf.

"Now, how about picking on someone who can actually fight back?" Sailor Sapphire Wolf said to Eugile as she stood up.

"You again? Chef, how about you fight back? Make sure you get rid of all of these annoying scouts!" Eugile commanded before jumping in her SUV and speeding away erratically.

Chef stepped forward with a sinister laugh. "You scouts are mincemeat!" the monster snarled.

The vile creature sent an enormous blast of sharp knives and kitchen utensils in all directions scattering all the scouts.

Sapphire Wolf just barely managed to scoop up Sandra and lay her in a concealed alley between the restaurant and the next building. The other scouts regrouped surrounding the heart snatcher.

"Give it up. You're out numbered. You can't win." Uranus sneered.

Chef gave an evil grin. "That's what you think." He mused as he took a large spoon and fork, commonly used for tossing, salad from his coat. He held one each hand and crossed them over his head. He brought his hands down uncrossing them as he did so. The scouts looked up just in time to see a gigantic salad bow form directly above them. Using the distraction, the heart snatcher dodged out of the way just in time for the giant bowl to trap the scouts.

"Not Good. He's preparing to attack again." Mercury fretted noticing Chef's lethally sharp weapons beginning to appear all around them.

Tuxedo mask threw a sharp tipped rose at the apex of the bowl cracking it. "There! Quickly! See if you can blast through!" he said with urgency.

"Right! this looks like my show!" Jupiter readied her attack.

"Us too!" Sailors Mars, Venus, Mini Moon, Uranus, and Neptune said in unison. The scouts called their attacks.

"Sparkling wide Pressure!"

"Celestial Fire Surround!"

"Love chain Encircle!"

"Pink Sugar Heart Attack!"

"World Shaking!"

"Deep Submerge!"

The combined power shattered the bowl allowing the scouts to dodge out of the way just in time. All of Chef's weapons sailed through the air only to end up sticking in the ground where the scouts had been a moment before.

The now angry heart snatcher charged at the scouts but in all the distraction of capturing and trying to kill them he had forgotten that there was one more who was now currently sneaking up on him from where she had taken his unconscious victim to safety. Just as the monster thought he was about attack again, his mistake caught up with him.

"Sapphire Coffin!" Sailor Sapphire Wolf trapped the heart snatcher in her trade mark sand.

"Sailor Moon, care to do the honors this time?" she asked figuring it to be a gesture of good will.

"Right!" She answered with a nod and called her attack summoning an ornate wand.

"Moon Spiral Heart Attack!" In a pink flash a giant pink heart of energy engulfed and destroyed the once menacing Chef.

"Nice shot, Sailor Moon." Sailor Sapphire Wolf complimented but before she could get another word out Sailor Uranus ran up and punched her in the face without warning.

"Uranus! Why did you do that?" Sailor Moon called in alarm.

"Hey!" Mini Moon shouted in indignation.

Collective gasps went around the rest of the group. When the only result was that Sailor Sapphire Wolf turned her head slightly, all Uranus could do was stare stunned. Sailor Sapphire Wolf slowly turned back to Uranus and without a word delivered a lightning quick jab to her side which brought Uranus to her knees.

"Uranus!" Neptune called out taking her friend's side and putting a hand on her back all the while giving Sapphire Wolf a reproachful look.

"Now would somebody mind telling me what was that for?" Sailor Sapphire Wolf asked casually as she rubbed a bruised spot on her jaw.

"You took the heart crystal. We have to find the treasures to save the world." Uranus said wincing as she stood up with Neptune's help.

"That's right. I put it back where it belongs. Last time I checked we're sailor scouts not heart snatchers. We don't do the enemy's dirty work for them. Someone once told me the best, most absolute victory comes from being the nice guy and still finishing first. Just because we have to stop the heart snatchers doesn't mean we have to use their tactics. We will stop them but not at the expense of becoming like them." Sapphire Wolf spoke firmly looking Uranus right in the eyes her own showing no give.

"If we don't find the treasures, there is no stopping them and if you interfere, it will be on your head when they win." Neptune said ruefully. They both departed as the rest of the scouts came to stand by Sapphire Wolf.

"I wish it didn't have to be this way with them." Sailor Moon said as she watched the pair disappear into the distance. She turned to Sapphire Wolf and apologized "I'm sorry about that. Uranus just flies off the handle some times."

"Don't worry about it no harm done." Sapphire Wolf said with a smile.

"Sailor Sapphire Wolf, you want to join up with us against the heart snatchers? We'd really like having you as part of our team." Sailor Mini Moon called running up to Sailor Sapphire Wolf happily.

Sailor Sapphire Wolf smiled at the trainee scout and then looked up "Really?" she asked wondering if the youngest scout was qualified to make such an offer for the whole team.

"Absolutely! We've talked about it and we all agree." said Sailor Moon.

"Yeah, we want you with us next time the heart snatchers attack. That way they won't know what hit them." Cheered Jupiter.

"So, what do you say? Team?" asked Mini Moon holding out her hand for a shake.

Sapphire wolf thought for a moment then smiled. "Sure, why not?" she said shaking Mini Moon's hand.

"Does this mean you'll tell us who you are?" Mini Moon asked hopefully.

"Sorry but not this time. Maybe eventually." Sapphire Wolf said trying to ease the look of sudden disappointment on Mini Moon's face.

"Why not?" Mercury asked.

"Look, it's nothing against you. It's just better for everybody this way." Sapphire Wolf said as she took a communicator from Venus who had stepped forward.

"We understand. We'll call you the next time we have a meeting." She said.

"Thank you. It's nice to have allies. See you around." Sapphire Wolf said before departing.

"Do you think she will learn to trust us?" Sailor Moon asked Tuxedo Mask as they and the rest watched Sapphire wolf's retreating form.

"Give her time. I'm sure she will." he said kindly.

AN: Wow! Chapter 2 is finally done! I can't believe it! It has taken ages of painstaking work 20 min of typing here 30 there but at last here we are. Another absolute lunker at over 9000 words (yes, DBZ fans get it out of your systems. "It's over 9000!") I hand craft (so to speak) every chapter so, I hope you have enjoyed reading so far. I wanted to add a few lighter moments of typical Serna/ Serena and Rei antics while still conveying enough seriousness. I aimed to show that the rest of the scouts are not push overs while still showing that getting into a brawl with Nora would be a mistake. I also wanted to show that she can work with the others (quite well in fact). I figured Sailor Jupiter fans would appreciate the little bit of payback Uranus got in the after battle scene. I meant it to be highly reminiscent of the scene when Uranus punches Sailor Jupiter in an episode of the original anime. Sailor Uranus fans needn't worry though, she'll be back next chapter (Neptune too) and hopefully, at some point, she and Sapphire Wolf will get along. For now, though, I think I will keep the tension between them. Sailor Sapphire Wolf has chosen to join the rest of the scouts against the heart snatchers. Sailors Uranus and Neptune can't shake their preconceptions about her. Will friendship help heal some of Nora's emotional wounds from the past? What happens when Eugile lays an underhanded trap for the scouts? Keep an eye out for the next chapter to find out. See you then.


	4. Identities Revealed: Desperate Measures

AN: Hope everybody's enjoying the story so far. I know I have several of you who have been reading since the beginning so I'd like to take a moment and give you guys a shout out and a big thank you for your readership and reviews; Liseas; Metalgear; (both excellent writers in their own respect both of which inspired me to finally begin my fanfic. If you're done with my story and want more to read, check out their works they are all awesome). ctran03931, you kind of stumbled onto my story by just browsing around but, I am very glad to have you aboard none the less. Knowing that I have people who want to read, enjoy, and review my work is more rewarding than many would think but enough of my babble. The plot thickens as a desperate Eugile sets a trap for the scouts and will stop at nothing to have them out of the way. What happens when Nora finds herself cornered with no way out? Stick around and read on to find out.

Identities Revealed: Desperate Measures

Somewhere in the Bureau of Bad Behavior:

The phone in the lab rang several times before Eugile answered in her ever snobby tone. "Eugile speaking."

The man on the other end replied in a tone of frustration. "Tomoe here. You'd better have a good reason for your lack of progress in finding the treasures. I'm placing you on probation. You have three chances left to find the crystal treasures and bring them to me or you will be handing in your resignation. Am I clear?"

Eugile went pale and gave a shudder. Indeed, she had never been faced with potentially losing her job and possibly worse. She gave an audible gulp and collected herself before she spoke again.

"Yes, doctor clear as crystal. The only thing that's been keeping me from succeeding has been those awful sailor brats" she said almost nervously hoping to gain some sympathy. "Every time I get close; they show up to interfere." She continued.

"I'll send over a heart snatcher that should be able to help put an end to that problem as well as a holocomunicator and a little surprise that should get their attention. Just make sure you get rid of all of them and, after that, I don't want to hear any more excuses understand?" Tomoe's voice gave no hint of mercy.

"Yes, doctor. I'll get rid of those scouts then, nothing will stand between us and the crystal treasures. You'll see." Eugile finished hoping to earn some respect by showing enthusiasm under duress.

"Good. Now, get moving!" Tomoe ordered hanging up the phone with a slam forceful enough to crack it part way through. He turned laughing maniacally as he watched his machinery churn out another evil heart snatching monster.

Once the suitcase containing the monster, the holocomunicator, and Tomoe's "surprise" were loaded into the back of Eugile's SUV, Eugile got in, buckled up, and sped off on her mission to stop the scouts and save her job.

At the City Park:

"Yay! Higher, Darien, higher!" Rini cheered as Darien pushed her on a swing while Serena and the rest of the girls sat by a fountain watching and finishing the last of their ice cream cones. It had been Rini's suggestion to get ice cream and go to the park and she had jumped right on the swing as soon as she and Darien had finished their cones.

The sky was blue and the trees and flowers waved gently in the afternoon breeze. The atmosphere at the park could not be happier. "Do you think this is good for Rini? Growing up as a sailor scout and witnessing how evil enemies can be I mean. I'm scared that when she's an adult she'll resent me and all of us for not ensuring that she had a normal childhood." Serena said after finishing her cone suddenly deep in thought as she watched Rini play.

"What are you talking about, meatball head? Of course she won't resent any of us. She knows full well that we all love her and she wouldn't trade that for anything. She just learned of her powers a little earlier than we did. She would have ended up a scout no matter what. She's your future daughter remember?" Rei affirmed with a minor jab.

"Rei's right, Serena, even though Rini has seen her share of battles, she's never demonstrated anything but love towards all of us, you and Darien included. From what I've seen, the pair of you are right on track to being a very happy family and all of us, especially Rini are very proud of that." Ami agreed.

"Relax, Serena, it's not like you forced her to become a sailor scout. She was born with that power and it's always been her decision to use it or not." Lita chimed in.

"That's right. No point crying over tilted milk." Mina said encouragingly eliciting confused looks from the group.

"It's spilt milk." Amy corrected.

"Oh right. That makes more sense. Anyway, my point was Rini has chosen to be a sailor scout and has never voiced a complaint about it. She'd probably never stop being a sailor scout even if you asked her to so, there's no point in worrying about it." Mina finished with a reassuring smile.

"Thanks guys. It means a lot." Serena said gratefully.

Just then, Rini ran up and tapped Serena's arm.

"Tag! You're it! Can't catch me!" she laughed before darting off towards the playground where Darien stood smiling beside a tree.

"Why you little. Come back here!" Serena called playfully as she took off in pursuit, the scene eliciting laughs from the rest of the girls.

Before Serena could close the gap, however, the transparent form of Eugile appeared directly in front of her. Serna came to a halt with a gasp.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded. The others had all taken notice of the holographic arrival and rushed to Serena's side with looks of consternation.

The hologram blinked a few times before speaking in Eugile's trade mark snobby voice.

"Attention, sailor brats, you've foiled our plans for the last time." She began.

"'We'll see about that." Lita jeered.

"You have two choices. One turn yourselves over to us and that means all of you. That way we can continue our work uninterrupted or two don't turn yourselves over and let your beloved city pay the price. I've taken the liberty of planting several explosives in several different parts of the city. You'll love their design too because not only will they pack a big bang but, when they explode, any and all pure heart crystals caught in the blast will be sent straight to us. We haven't used these so far because well, what's the point in taking over the world if there's no one left to rule over?" The hologram continued on without reacting indicating the message was prerecorded and the real Eugile was more than likely already lying in wait for her next target somewhere.

"Be at the roof of the Pay N Park parking garage downtown in one hour and do be on time. For every minute you are late, I'm afraid I'll have to trigger one the devices just to show you I mean business and, I'd hate for you lose your city in addition to having lost to me. One hour. Ta ta." The hologram finished with a laugh and blinked out of existence leaving the group stunned.

"What do we do?" Serena asked the group her voice shaking a little.

"I'll try to get a fix on and disable the devises. I'll first need to analyze any detonator she might have to see if I can get a frequency match." Amy said immediately.

"That's a good idea, Amy. No bombs mean no advantage for Eugile." Mina agreed with an anxious expression.

"We have to stop her as quickly as possible. Innocent people are in danger." Rei said urgently

"It's probably a trap but what choice do we have?" asked Lita.

"We'll beat her. I just know we will. We have to." Rini added determinedly.

"We'll have to be careful. No telling what she's got planned." Darien spoke in a steadying tone.

The entire group exchanged serious looks followed by nods of agreement.

"It's decided then. Let's get moving!" Serna said leading the way towards down town.

The same time at the local café:

Amara and Michele sat across from one another at a table by one of the windows. Michele sipped her tea while Amara took a gulp of coffee.

"You want to go see a movie later?" Amara asked.

"That sounds nice. What movie did you have in mind?" Michele questioned.

"I was thinking we'd go see Everest: I Max. A mountaineering team takes an I Max camera to the top of Mt. Everest. The scenery is supposed to be spectacular." Amara replied.

"Sounds perfect. We'll catch the matinee." Michele replied before turning to gaze out the window.

Amara did the same. It was tranquil and, they enjoyed looking out the window and watching the people on the sidewalk go by and the traffic make its way lazily up and down the street. The sun glinted off the windows of the buildings that lined both sides of the street sparkling like jewels.

The peace was shattered by the sudden appearance of a miniature hologram of none other than Eugile on their table. The red haired menace's recording repeated the same awful message as it's full sized twin did for Serena and the others. Time seemed to slow and none of the other customers or workers seemed to notice the stomach churning message.

Amara and Michele gave each other looks of utter dread as the message concluded and the miniature hologram blinked out of site.

"It's very likely a trap and a dangerous one but, we mustn't let her get the pure hearts." Michele said mournfully.

"We have to stop her. We'll try to get to her before the others become involved." Amara said as they rose from their seats and hurried out the door.

At the same time across town at Tokyo Central Inn and suites:

Nora walked along the sidewalk having just left the hotel building on her way to a nearby museum to oversee the unpacking of a painting she had done for the museum as part of a display of American art passing a six story parking garage with a sign that read Pay N Park above the entrance along the way. The painting had been shipped on a flight just after Nora's but had been delayed due to weather and the curator was anxious to unpack it and finish setting up the display before the exhibit opened the following day. Everything went well and after the exhibit was set up Nora thanked the curator and began to walk back to her hotel.

"Thank you for letting us have such a fine painting in our exhibit." The curator beamed warmly as Nora was leaving.

"No problem. I'll see you for opening day tomorrow." Nora waved as she proceeded along the side walk.

Several minutes later, as she was walking along, out of nowhere a hologram of Eugile appeared right in front of her. There weren't any people along the side walk and traffic continued to flow back and forth along the street. It was apparent that only she noticed the hologram.

"Attention sailor brats…" the message began. Nora listened as her anxiety grew.

"One Hour. Ta ta." Finally, the message finished and the hologram blinked into nothingness leaving a stunned Nora to collect herself and plan her next move.

"I'm nearby. I'll sneak over, survey the scene, transform, and use my communicator to warn the others, if they haven't gotten the invite already." She thought and proceeded hurriedly in the direction of the garage.

Nora was within view of the garage when she saw Serena and the others crossing the street and heading for the entrance. Amara and Michele were coming from a different direction and street than the rest of the group and both looked stressed. She continued toward the garage as she waved them down.

"Hi guys. What brings you here?" she asked trying to be friendly while covering up her own intentions for being there.

"My mom asked me to get a price listing for this place. We are taking a small vacation for several days next week and need somewhere to store our car." Serena lied attempting to conceal the real reason that she and the others were there.

"I was just picking up my rental. How about we go in together?" Nora offered noticing the worried looks on all their faces.

"Is anything wrong?" she asked.

"No. We were just in a hurry because I told my mom I would have the prices today and, she will flip if I don't get them in time so she and my dad can start planning." Serena covered.

They made their way in. Unbeknownst to them, they were being observed.

On the roof of Park N Pay:

Eugile watched from the roof as the group entered down below.

"Alright, that must be them. Seal all the exits, Trapper." She ordered a blue skinned, white haired, heart snatching monster with a body shaped like a man's and clad in khaki colored, English style hunting/safari clothes from the late 1800's-early 1900's and a monocle reminiscent of the same era. The black star of the heart snatchers was stamped on the right side of the chest of the shirt.

"Quite right." The monster replied in a British accent grinning beneath its thick handlebar mustache and set about barring up all the exits with the use of the musket he was armed with, using it to fire metal panels that instantly bolted shut any means of escape.

On the first floor of Park N pay:

"My rental is parked on the top floor." Nora said after Serena took a pamphlet containing price info from a stand against a wall beside the entrance to an elevator.

Nora got in and hit the button for the roof hoping the others would not follow.

"We'll go with you just in case the rental is a lemon. Amara could give you a ride to my house and you could use our phone to call the rental company." Serena said quickly as she and the rest of the group got in the elevator. "We can't let Nora get caught up in the battle. We have to get her out of here." She thought to herself.

"That's very kind of you." Nora replied with a warm smile. "I've got to ditch these kids. They're nice but, they wouldn't stand a chance if the heart snatchers have a trap planned." She thought inwardly.

After a few anxious moments in the elevator, the ding indicating they had reached the desired floor sounded and the doors slid open.

Before anyone could even take a step, Serena, who was closest to the door, was grabbed by her arm by a blue skinned hand. She let out a small shriek of surprise as she was pulled forward, out of the elevator.

"Alright, everybody out, now. No funny business, mind you." said a British man's voice.

As they exited the elevator Eugile and her heart snatching monster, Trapper, came into view. Trapper had his musket trained on the group.

"You'll make excellent bait for the sailor scouts. Nothing like the lives of innocent civilians for some extra motivation." Eugile laughed in her snobby manner.

"Who?" Serena asked playing dumb.

"Oh just shut up and stand there and don't do anything stupid or Trapper will blast you." Eugile snapped irritably before returning to watch the entrance for the sailor scouts with Trapper although Trapper kept his musket trained on the group.

"This is bad. If we don't do something, Nora and many others will be in danger. Nora will find out about us being sailor scouts but, we don't have any choice." Serena thought to herself.

"Guys we've got to stop her. I know we will have some explaining to do later but, we don't have any other way out of this." Serena addressed the group.

"You don't mean." Rei began and trailed off her meaning known to the others.

"You can't be serious." Said Amara in disbelief.

"I think she is but, we have no other options." Michele said anxiously.

"What do you guys mean? What are you talking about? Surely you don't plan on trying to take them on?" Nora asked confusedly.

Serena turned to Nora her face full of stress. "We don't have time to explain right now but, we're going to create a distraction of sorts and once we do, you need to get to safety, ok?" she said.

Nora nodded wondering what their plan might be and decided to remain close to try and help.

"Everybody ready?" Serena asked.

"Right!" everyone responded in unison and each called their planet's power.

"Mercury Star Power!"

"Mars Star Power!

"Jupiter Star Power"

"Venus Star Power"

"Uranus Planet Power!"

"Neptune Planet Power!"

"Moon Cosmic Power!"

"Moon Prism Power!"

In a flash of ribbons, light, flames, lightning, and waves the group took their scout forms with Tuxedo Mask at their side leaving a stunned Nora to process what just happened.

"It's them! They all just transformed right in front of me!" Nora thought to herself in shock.

"Nora, Get out of here! We'll handle this!" Sailor Moon said urgently.

"Right" Nora said feigning fear and obedience and ran off to take cover out of site behind a support pillar for a large water storage tank.

When Trapper tried to follow, the scouts blocked him.

"Your fight's with us!" Sailor Uranus antagonized.

"I'm afraid it's not going to be much of a fight." Scoffed Eugile as Trapper pressed a button on the side of his musket triggering the appearance of a large cage with tightly spaced bars surrounding the scouts and Tuxedo Mask.

"Crud!" Uranus exclaimed in agitation.

"Coward! Let Us Go!" Jupiter yelled in outrage.

Eugile laughed mockingly. "You didn't really expect me to just let you show up without a way of ensuring you can't interfere did you?" she jeered as she began to take a count of the scouts.

"We seem to be one short. Where's your puppy friend?" She asked.

"We don't know." Mars said with an angry glare mirrored by the others.

"Well, now, that just won't do." Eugile spoke with an air of mock sophistication. She pulled out a small remote.

"I'll try to analyze that detonator. See if I can't disable it." Mercury said hurriedly as she pulled out her computer and started scanning and typing.

"Come out come out wherever you are, Sailor Puppy. Unless you want me to start blowing the city to smithereens." Eugile threatened looking around in the direction Nora had fled. "I know you're around here. If you don't show yourself, not only will I hurt your city but your friends as well." she jeered in an evil tone as she took a few steps forward.

Trapper pressed another button on his musket sending an electrical current through the cage.

The group screamed in agony as they were shocked by the evil energy. The pain drove them to their knees and caused Mercury to drop her computer.

Nora watched anxiously from her hiding spot, agonizing over what to do. All the exits were blocked. Even if Nora transformed in hiding the flash from the light of her doing so would give her away. "I just know I'm going to regret revealing myself but, I can't just leave them." She thought to herself.

"All the exits are sealed so, if you're in here, there's no way out. I have the detonator. I have your friends. It's over Sailor Puppy." Eugile sneered.

Trapper unleashed another jolt of energy through the cage eliciting more screams from the scouts and Tuxedo Mask.

"That's it! I've got to stop her!" Nora thought to herself and stepped out of hiding.

"Stop it! Leave those kids alone!" Nora called as she stepped into view.

"No! Don't do it! Run!" Sailor Moon called weakly from the cage. The group watched dazedly as Nora confronted the evil Eugile and Trapper. Slowly, they got to their feet watching with dread Mercury collecting her computer and resuming her analysis albeit shakily.

"Stand aside. I'm not interested in you. It's the other sailor scout I'm after." Eugile said arrogantly dismissing Nora.

"I'm right here so, let's go!" Nora called as she pulled out her transformation wand from her pocket and called the Blue Moon's power.

"Sapphire Prism Power!"

In a flash of blue light, ribbons, and sand, Nora transformed into Sailor Sapphire Wolf.

Sailor Moon and the other scouts gasped as Nora transformed right before their eyes.

"She's Sailor Sapphire Wolf?!" a stunned Jupiter and Uranus exclaimed in unison.

"Should have guessed." Uranus added.

"Cool! Our new friend is also our new ally!" Sailor Mini Moon cheered.

"Last chance, Eugile. Let them go!" Sailor Sapphire Wolf ordered.

"Not on your life, Sailor Puppy!" Eugile shot back.

"That's it! If the detonator is destroyed, the bombs will be rendered inert!" Mercury said as her computer finished its analysis.

"Have it your way." Sapphire Wolf answered nonchalantly.

Suddenly blue sand enveloped the detonator and Trapper.

The sand yanked the detonator from Eugile's hand and threw it to Sailor Sapphire Wolf who caught it in her left hand her right controlling the sand holding the monster.

"Hey! No fair!" cried Eugile

"Plenty fair." countered Sapphire Wolf with a smirk as she crushed the detonator. The group summoned their attacks inspired by Sailor Sapphire Wolf gaining the upper hand.

"Shine Aqua Illusion!"

"Mars Celestial Fire Surround!"

"Sparkling Wide Pressure!"

"Venus Love Chain Encircle"

"World Shaking!"

"Deep Submerge!"

"Pink Sugar Heart Attack!"

The combined force of the group's attacks coupled with a well-placed rose from Tuxedo Mask broke the cage apart freeing the scouts.

"Care to do the honors, Sailor Moon?" Sapphire wolf asked indicating the heart snatcher.

"Together!" she replied with a nod.

"Sapphire Burial!"

"Moon Spiral Heart Attack!"

The pair called their attacks finishing the monster with a crushing force of sand followed by a blast of pink energy in the shape of a heart.

"Now it's your turn." Sapphire wolf said darkly appearing suddenly behind Eugile and grabbing her arm behind her back with one hand and tilting her head to the side exposing her neck with the other. The others gasped in surprise.

Eugile's face was nothing but fear as she tried fruitlessly to twist free of Sapphire Wolf's grip.

Sailor Sapphire Wolf opened her mouth wide showing the two, pearl white fangs that she intended to use to deliver an extremely toxic venom. The tips of her fangs were a mere millimeter away from Eugile's neck when Sailor Moon suddenly yelled.

"Stop! Please!" Sailor Moon cried.

Sapphire Wolf looked up and spoke severely. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't end this witch right here and now. One bite's all it would take."

"We aren't like them. Sure, she's evil but, if we destroy her then we're no better than she is. You said yourself, just because we have to fight them doesn't mean we have to use their tactics." Sailor Moon begged her eyes wide.

"You're not seriously suggesting she let Eugile go?" Uranus questioned in shock.

Sailor Moon took a deep breath and spoke decisively. "Yes, I am. We aren't monsters like them. We've won. It's over for now."

"Please, Sailor Sapphire Wolf. This isn't the way." Sailor Mini Moon made her attempt at pleading for Eugile's life.

"She tried to kill you all and destroy the city. How do we know she won't try again?" Sapphire wolf asked her rage subsiding a little.

"We don't but, we've proven we can stop her no matter what she does and that's what matters." Jupiter said confidently.

Eugile struggled in Sailor Sapphire Wolf's grip still trying to get free.

"Please, Sailor Sapphire Wolf, just let her go." Sailor Mini Moon pleaded once more.

"Fine." Sailor Sapphire Wolf said half shoving half throwing Eugile past the group to land on the ground a short distance away.

Eugile got to her feet shakily and dusted herself off looking up at the scouts reproachfully.

"Last chance, Eugile. Next time you're dead and I won't be so easily talked out of it either." Sapphire wolf warned in a cold tone.

Without a word, Eugile walked away. A moment later her SUV could be heard speeding away.

"Why would you think that we would want her dead?" Sailor Moon asked directly. "and, why didn't you tell us sooner that you were also a sailor scout?" she added almost pleadingly.

Sailor Sapphire Wolf looked at the ground her fists clinched by her sides. "I didn't plan on ever revealing myself if I could get away with it. I did not want to risk getting too close. I've had too many bad experiences being close to people." She spoke severely but underneath was a tone that covered a deep pain.

The group listened intently.

"As far as Eugile goes, I was trained in the military to never show any mercy to the enemy especially if they are very dangerous. I did this once only out of respect for your feelings. Next time, don't expect the same outcome. I spare only the enemies that seek to change from evil to good not those that never will nor want to."

"I thought we were together on this. I thought we were friends." Sailor Moon said almost pleadingly.

"Look, we want the same thing for now and that's to stop the heart snatchers. The only way to do that is to destroy them without involving any innocents. We just wasted a perfectly good opportunity to do so. I know her type, next time, it will be far more difficult to stop Eugile. Her kind never stops. They always have to BE stopped." Sailor Sapphire wolf tried to explain and reassure.

"You're just trying to cover up the fact that you lost control!" Sailor Uranus butted in angrily. The group went wide eyed remembering the last confrontation between the two. Sailor Sapphire Wolf turned a severe glare towards the scout of the sky.

"That's not fair and you know it!" Jupiter shouted.

"Who put you in charge of how we deal with the heart snatchers?" Mars added heatedly.

"Guys, this isn't helping." Mercury tried mediate.

"Mercury's right. We can't afford to be divided like this." Venus agreed. Neither Sailor Sapphire Wolf nor Sailor Uranus gave any sign that they had heard any of them as they glared at each other.

"I don't think this is so easily settled." Tuxedo Mask spoke warily noticing the agitated looks on both Sapphire Wolf and Uranus' faces.

"I cover up nothing. You've all known since our first encounter that I want to destroy the heart snatchers and that I don't want any innocents involved. I don't need any justification for anything I do." Sapphire Wolf shot back.

Uranus clinched her fist and took a step toward Sapphire Wolf. She stopped herself before getting ant closer remaining well outside of Sapphire Wolf's punching range.

"We warned you she was dangerous. Now, do you see why?" Neptune asked the other scouts.

Sapphire Wolf opened her mouth to respond but was cut off by Sailor Mini Moon of all people.

"STOP! Just because she doesn't exactly want to show the enemy mercy doesn't make her evil!" Sailor Mini Moon cut in with a yell taking the group by surprise. Just as suddenly as her outburst had come, the scout in training seemed to deflate, dropping her shoulders and looking at the ground.

"I get sick of them too." she continued. "I get sick of going into battle and worrying about losing one of my friends or a civilian." She went on looking up at each of them in turn.

"I get sick of thinking I'm going to have a nice, peaceful day only to have it ruined and, most of all, I get sick of enemies that just want to destroy and or rule everything just because they think they're better than everybody else." Sailor Mini Moon finished her confession leaving the group in stunned silence.

"Rini, I had no idea." Sailor Moon began using her real name in an attempt to be comforting.

"Don't." Mini Moon cut her future mother off holding a hand up.

"I became a scout to help stop bad guys and I would never dream of anything else. Part of what that means is making sure they will either turn good or NEVER come back. I agree with Sailor Sapphire Wolf. The first approach has not been working with the heart snatchers so, if you're against her, you're against me." She finished taking Sapphire Wolf's side with a bit of a glare towards Uranus and Neptune and a look challenging any of the others to debate her.

Sailor Sapphire Wolf was both caught off guard and heart warmed at the gesture.

There was a brief silence then, Sailor Sapphire Wolf spoke again.

"I want to be on the same side as you but, I cannot, will not give in to an enemy as evil as the heart snatchers. All I can do is hope you understand. If you need me, you know how to find me. See you all around." Sailor Sapphire Wolf left the group hoping things were a little clearer between them.

"We warned you not to trust her. The only hope is to find the crystal treasures." Neptune spoke coldly.

"If she loses control again, we won't hesitate to stop her by any means necessary." Uranus warned as she and Neptune also departed.

The rest of the group was left to hope that their next encounter with the heart snatchers would not bring as much tension to the surface as they let their transformations fade and headed for home.

AN: And so another chapter concludes. Hope everybody enjoyed it. Despite being fairly kind to the other scouts, I did not want it to be forgotten that Sailor Sapphire Wolf is an ex-soldier in this life and so has some habits left over from that (one being prone to simply destroying the enemy without question). The "what does Rini truly think of being a Sailor Scout?" angle is one I have been wanting to explore for a while. I hope it is clear that while no she does not resent not having a normal childhood, she does have her worries and frustrations. The next chapter will see the scouts pushed to their limits. Can the group avoid falling victim to yet another insidious trap laid by Eugile? What happens when Eugile runs out of chances? Well, now, you would not have much reason to keep reading if I told you, would you?


	5. Treasures Revealed

The Treasures Revealed: Rumble at the Marine Cathedral

AN: Glad to see in the reviews that everyone is enjoying the story so far. Last chapter, there was a slight lack of clarity in regards to Eugile learning the scouts' identities. I mirrored this lack of clarity from the show. There is an episode where Mina is trying to get her heart snatched and she and Serena end up trapped in what looks kind of like a parking garage with Eugile and a heart snatcher called Door Knocker. They both end up revealing themselves as scouts as do Sailors Uranus and Neptune (who had been tailing Mina because they thought she might be a target, and they were right). Eugile, however, never uses what she knows about Serena and the rest, indeed she uses a computer to find Amara and Michele's phone number to lure them to the Marine Cathedral. She seems to remember them but is surprised when they turn out to be targets and Tomoe never seems to know their identities. I wanted to keep this same open ended feel in my last chapter especially since things amp up still more in this one. Also, I wanted the story to feel original hence Eugile's increasingly over the top tactics (no, in the show she doesn't ever try to blow up the city but, I needed an extreme situation for the scouts to face that would force everybody to reveal their identities and the scenario fit with her personality). I also realize that I did not include Sitka, Luna, or Artemis in my last chapter (I could not seem to find a place to fit them in without it feeling like I was rehashing the show. They also had a big scene the chapter before) but don't worry they will be back this chapter. Now that all of that is out of the way, if you liked last chapter, then, you are going to love this chapter (I hope) but don't just go by my word. Read for yourself and see. Without further ado: Rumble at the Marine Cathedral.

At Amara and Michele's apartment building:

Michele relaxed in a pool chair still clad in her swimsuit meditating with a conch shell to one ear. She enjoyed letting the sound of the ocean soothe and relax all her stress away after a good swim. Amara stood over the head of her chair.

"Earth to Michele. Where is it you go off to like that? It isn't fair leaving me behind." she teased playfully.

"The sea is churned up. Something dire is coming. I had a dream last night and I can't get it out of my head." Michele said in an almost mournful tone.

"I know. I sense it too. One of the crystal treasures is going to appear soon." Amara responded.

At the Bureau of Bad Behavior:

Eugile sat working furiously at a computer typing and programing commands. She had come in the previous morning to a tack in her slippers which her foot found as soon as she had put them on. To add insult to injury she had found her locker and its contents covered in snails used in the research lab along with a note stuck to the inside of her locker door that read "The lady who took the snails away had a bad day." Eugile had her suspicions about who was behind this sabotage and they seemed to be confirmed when she overheard Mimet, one of Tomoe's other researchers, talking to the rest.

"Did you hear? Eugile Blew it again." She had said snootily.

"She wasted another one of Dr. Tomoe's heart snatchers? How many does that make now?" One of the others replied.

"How long before Tomoe cans her? She's such a loser. I could fine heart crystals in circles around her." Said another.

"Now, now girls. Don't get too excited. Dr. Tomoe phoned me just this morning and said he wants to assign me a mission to collect heart crystals." Mimet bragged.

After overhearing the plot against her job, Eugile had went straight to work designing a refined program that would locate the holders of the crystal treasures. She had decided to run her program while the others were on holiday the following day. So, she sat at her computer brooding and plotting her revenge as soon as she brought Tomoe the crystal treasures.

"I'll teach those rotten girls to talk trash behind my back. I'll get the crystal treasures and be promoted to Tomoe's right hand assistant, and, when I do, I'll have them out of here so fast their heads will spin especially that Mimet. What a little two faced traitor, nice to my face then stabs me in the back. I know she's the one who put those snails in my locker. She's going to pay." Eugile ranted to herself while she keyed in commands on the key board, attached an external switch to one of the computer's ports, and flipped the switch to start her program.

The computer made several beeps and buzzes and the screen displayed numerous candidates and their info in very rapid succession as the computer analyzed all the data. At last, after a few moments, the computer stopped and made a beep indicating the task was complete.

"It worked! These must be the holders of the crystal treasures." Eugile said in wonderment staring at the screen.

At Amara and Michele's apartment building:

The pair made their way up to their apartment where Michele went to shower in order to wash the chlorine from the pool out of her hair. The apartment was furnished in a modern style with a plush rug in the center of the main room and a soft memory foam couch across from a flat screen television. In the corner was a small computer table with a combination phone, printer, and fax machine. Amara stared out the bay window pondering their mission and almost feeling ashamed of what they had to do and the fact that she could see no other way to stop the heart snatchers. She looked down at her hands almost disgusted at how dirty she imagined them to be. Michele entered the room dressed in house clothes drying her hair with her towel and noticed the look on Amara's face. She walked over and took Amara's hands in hers and said "Don't worry, your hands look clean enough to me." in a kind tone and started the secret hand shake they came up with when they were kids. The shrill ring of their phone from its place on the table broke the silence. They glanced at the screen as the phone rang a second time. No information displayed on the caller ID so, they let the answering machine get it. After another, ring the answering machine took over first playing their reception message which Amara had recorded; "You've reached Amara and Michele. Sorry, we can't come to the phone right now. Leave a message and we'll get back to you as soon as we can." Followed by the beep that indicated to begin recording. The caller's familiar, snobby voice seemed to confirm their earlier premonitions.

"Amara Tenoh, Michele Kaio, or should I say Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune? Surprised? Guess who? Eugile Speaking." The villainess started with a laugh.

"Now, that I have your phone number, it'll be dead easy to find out where you live. I've found the holder of a crystal treasure so, I've won." The answering machine timed out cutting off the remainder of Eugile's gloating much to her irritation. After another four rings, the answering machine picked up once again playing the initial reception message followed by the recording beep.

"Your stupid machine cut me off before I was done talking to you! Oh, well, anyway, you two are looking for the crystal treasures, too, right? So how about a deal? We can help each other and get the treasures all for ourselves. My bosses don't even have to know about it and don't worry your secret identities are safe with me. I'm faxing you a map of the location. Be there in one hour. Think about it. Tata." The machine made a click as the call ended and a fax began to print from the attached fax machine. The map was of the outer edge of the city by the harbor. The only location marked was a building that had just completed construction called the Marine Cathedral.

"Sounds like she's found a crystal treasure. Seems to confirm our suspicions." Said Amara pensively.

"It sure does." Michele answered in an almost sullen tone.

"You know what this means?" asked Amara already knowing the dreaded answer.

"Yes, we must fulfill our mission at all costs. It is our destiny. The world must be made safe from the silence and solitude." Michele answered as Amara knew she would avowing to stop the heart snatchers even if it meant sacrificing the holders of the crystal treasures something Amara prayed inwardly would not be needed but her gut told her there was no way out. Michele offered Amara a comforting hand as they prepared to face Eugile.

At the Crown Arcade, Sendai Temple, the library, Tokyo Inn and Suites, the park, the shopping district, Darien's apartment, and Serena's house:

Each of the other scouts as well as Darien fretted over what to do. Sailors Uranus and Neptune were desperately trying to find the crystal treasures to stop an evil they could not fully explain. What was more, they had made it clear that they did not want any help and much less any interference. Amara and Michele had even driven a bit of a wedge between Sailor Sapphire Wolf and the rest of the group by their constant accusations of her being dangerous. What hurt most was, after her last encounter with Eugile, Sailor Sapphire Wolf, Nora, their new friend, had almost proven Uranus and Neptune right and the rest of the group had responded with near fear.

"No wonder she hasn't shown herself since then. We acted like she was as bad as one of the heart snatchers." Amy thought to herself as she researched everything she could to help their situation at the library as several other guests read books at some of the nearby tables.

"Why do Amara and Michele have to be so stubborn? Nora too. This mess is all their fault. If they'd just get along and let us help, we'd take down the heart snatchers for sure." Rei fumed as she swept the temple courtyard pausing and looking to the sky lost in thought.

"There's got to be a better way. I just know there is." Lita thought to herself as she starred at her reflection in the river looking down from a bridge in the shopping district as cars drove past and people walked along the sidewalk going about the various shops.

"We can't win fighting amongst ourselves so much. If only there was some sure-fire way to stop the heart snatchers without anybody losing their heart crystal, then, we could all get along better." Mina brooded as she jostled for position in her favorite racing game at the arcade.

"They aren't bad. They just need to get to know each other and us. I just know if they give things a chance, we can be friends." Rini comforted herself inwardly as she swung low on the swing set at the park.

"Why can't I shake this feeling like something bad is going to happen?" Darien asked himself as he stared out over his balcony.

"Nora, Amara, Michele, what are we going to do? There must be a better way. We can't let the heart snatchers win but how can we just sacrifice innocent lives to beat them? How can we be so divided about how to deal with enemies? It isn't right. We'll never win like this." Serena thought to herself as she stared out her window. Her reverie was disturbed by her younger brother, Sammy, entering the room.

"Serena, phone for you. It's some girl named Amara." He said barging in.

"Amara?" Serena could not help herself but say questioningly. Luna vocalized a concerned meow from her spot at the foot of Serena's bed.

"What am I even doing here? I'm an ex-soldier. I know nothing about being scout. I'm nothing like the rest of them. Maybe Neptune and Uranus are right. Either way, I just need a plan to stop the heart snatchers, then, I can just go back to Alaska and put this all behind me." Nora skulked in her hotel room.

"You'd really give up on yourself after you've come this far? I don't believe that one bit." Sitka chided from her favorite chair.

Nora glanced over at Sitka her attention immediately caught by Smoke in his tank trying to climb his water bottle again falling back into his bedding as he always did. The hamster made several exited squeaks as Nora smiled and handed him a treat which he immediately took in his paws and began chewing happily. Nora freshened his food and water while he was distracted with the treat.

"I guess not give up but, I don't think the other scouts want me around so, I may be working solo for a while." Nora said with a sigh.

Before Sitka could respond, the phone rang. Nora answered. The voice on the other end was familiar and the sound of it made the hair on the back of Nora's neck stand up.

"Nora Frost?" a female voice asked in a snobby tone.

"Yes?" Nora answered hoping it wasn't who she thought it was. Sitka tilted her head to one side as she listened and observed from across the room.

"Or should I call you Sailor Sapphire Wolf?" Nora's suspicions seemed to be confirmed as Eugile called her by her scout name.

"What? Who is this?" Nora decided to force the caller's hand.

"Eugile speaking." the evil red head replied with a laugh.

"What's the matter? You didn't think you could keep your secret identity secret forever did you? I can track you down anytime I want so don't feel too bad. I mean, somebody had to lose, right?" Eugile gloated.

"What do you want?" Nora demanded in an irritated but calm tone not wanting to alarm Sitka.

"Oh nothing. Just to let you know that I've found the carrier of a crystal treasure and because I'm feeling so generous after this victory, I thought maybe you'd like to strike a deal." Eugile said offhandedly.

Nora scowled but remained silent turning away from Sitka's questioning look.

"If you help me find the crystal treasures, we can keep them for ourselves just you, me, and two other friends you probably already know. If you're interested, be at the Marine Cathedral in one hour. Did you get all that?" Eugile asked impatiently.

"Got it." Nora almost growled the anger in her voice all too clear.

"Good. Tata, now." Eugile said mockingly and the call ended with a click.

Nora placed the phone back on the hook.

"Who was it? Is everything ok?" Sitka asked stepping off the chair to walk towards Nora.

"No one. Everything is fine. I've got an errand to run." Nora lied hurriedly as she grabbed her keys off the table and headed for the door. She didn't want Sitka to worry nor to be able to tell the others where she was going.

Sitka cut her off jumping between Nora and the door.

"It was Eugile wasn't it? I know it was. I have super sensitive hearing. I could hear her on the phone. You're going to face her, aren't you? Why are you lying to me?" Sitka looked at Nora with worry.

Nora sighed and looked down. There was no hiding it but she still wanted to deal with this on her own.

"Yes, it was and, yes, I am. I don't want you telling the other scouts. I'm going to do what I should have done before. Having the other scouts there will only complicate things." Nora spoke firmly.

"It's probably a trap. What if you need help?" Sitka countered indignantly.

"It's not up for debate. I'm sorry. Now move, Sitka." Nora raised her voice.

Sitka looked taken aback and somewhat hurt but moved aside.

"I'll be ok and, I'll be back soon." Nora comforted in a warmer tone as she stepped out the door.

At Amara and Michele's Apartment Building:

Serena arrived at the top floor aquarium, where Amara had called and asked to meet. She gazed in awe at the numerous species of beautiful fish swimming about in the massive aquariums that spanned the walls and even the ceiling crating a tunnel/dome effect. Amara and Michele stood side by side staring into one the aquariums seeming to almost ignore her.

"Wow! This place is amazing! Is it ok if I bring the rest of the girls next time?" Serena asked in almost childlike naivete. Amara and Michele turned to her with a glower and Amara took a step forward.

"We didn't call you here for a friendly chat. We don't want you interfering in our mission." Amara said sternly.

"Why won't you let us help? We're all linked by the gift of planet power. Surely there must be a better way than finding the crystal treasures." Serena said looking a little hurt.

Amara took another step forward. "If we meet again, you will be our enemy, moon faced girl!" Amara spoke angrily and grabbed Serena's transformation locket.

Serena struggled to stop her but, Amara gained the upper hand ripping it from her uniform and shoving Serena to the floor.

"I'll hang on to this for time being just to make sure there isn't any interference." She said almost mockingly.

Amara and Michele took their scout forms departed through a door leading to the roof where they boarded a helicopter.

"Wait! Please, let us help! You don't have to face them alone! Amara! Michele!" Serena pleaded following them until her cries were drowned by the chopper's propellers and Sailors Uranus and Neptune lifted off to go and face Eugile.

All Serena could do was watch as the helicopter disappeared into the distance. She was startled by the sound of footsteps behind her. She Spun around to see a woman in a grey business dress and heels with long black hair that had a dark green hue. She had dark skin and her eyes had a dark pink almost red color to them.

"Those two are in grave danger." She said solemnly.

"Who are you?" Serena asked.

"You could say, I'm an old friend of theirs. My name is Trista Maioh. Are you willing to help them?" Trista asked in a patient tone.

"Yes, but, what can I do?" Serena replied mournfully.

"Good, however, this won't be easy." Trista replied.

"Please, tell me where they went." Serena begged.

Trista nodded.

At the park:

Luna and Artemis assembled the scouts after Serena had dashed out the door to meet Amara and Michele.

"I think they have something planned, but I can't be certain." said Luna to the group at large.

"If we can't get Serena on the communicator, we must assume the worst and go after her." Artemis added.

Mina, Rei, Amy, and Lita all listened intently.

"I can get a fix on her location with my minicomputer." Amy offered.

"Good idea Amy. If Serena's in trouble, we've got to be there to help her." Lita asserted.

"Why would she just go off like that?" Rei asked.

"She must have been told to come alone." Mina offered her best guess.

"I'm afraid it's worse than you think." came a warm female voice.

Sitka walked up to join the meeting. She came to sit in front of the group her tail swishing lightly from side to side. All eyes were on her as she continued.

"Eugile called Nora on the phone. I fear she and the others have gone to face her and it may be a trap." she expounded.

"That does it. She needs our help!" decided Luna.

"Everybody, prepare for a major battle!" Artemis added.

With looks of determination, the group nodded and took their scout forms.

At a busy stretch of sidewalk near the shopping district:

"Amara and Michele Called Serena on the phone?" Darien asked Rini seeking clarification.

"Uh Huh." Rini answered nodding yes.

"I'm worried for her. I mean they really are Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune."

"Yeah. They are sailor scouts, though, so, surely they can't be as bad as they seem." Rini said reflectively clutching Luna P as she spoke.

In the crowd, Trista observed them from a distance.

Rini glanced up and thought she caught a glimpse of a familiar figure.

"Huh?" she questioned in confusion.

"What is it Rini?" Darien asked following Rini's line of sight.

"Nothing." Answered Rini turning her attention back to Darien.

By the time either of them could get a proper look through the crowd, Trista had vanished from sight leaving Rini to question if she had seen anything more than a silhouette at all.

At the Marine Cathedral:

Sailors Uranus and Neptune landed their helicopter nearby and walked up to the door.

"Amara wait." Neptune said quickly as they stood on the front steps. She took Uranus's side and held her hand.

"Remember that whatever happens, we must put the mission first. If anything should happen to one of us…" she spoke almost shakily.

"Then the other must go on and complete the mission alone. You don't have to remind me." Uranus said comfortingly.

"Yes, I know you know it well." She said sounding a little relieved and loosened her grip on Uranus's hand.

They turned to the sound of footsteps approaching from behind.

"You weren't going to start the party without me, were you?" a familiar voice asked casually.

"What are you doing here?" Uranus asked in an irritated tone recognizing the voice.

"Same as you I suspect. You might say I was invited." The voice answered as Sailor Sapphire Wolf came into view.

"From the sound of that glum little conversation earlier, you could use the help. You may recall, I like the heart snatchers less than you do so, we might call a temporary truce." Sailor Sapphire Wolf said half teasing.

Uranus and Neptune glanced at each other then back at Sapphire Wolf frowns etched on their faces.

"We don't need you getting in the way. Do what you want but, don't interfere with our mission or we will consider you an enemy." Neptune warned coldly.

"Fine. The feeling's mutual. No sweat off my back." Sailor Sapphire wolf replied with a shrug of her shoulders.

The giant doors of the cathedral opened and the loose alliance of three scouts entered the building.

The immense, ornate atrium was adorned with a multitude of stained glass windows. At the opposite end was a hallway. They followed the hall taking note of the repeated engravings of Cupid with his bow drawn.

"She invited us here but, she's nowhere to be seen." noted Uranus in the lead as they walked along.

"Agreed. It's quiet…a little too quiet." Said Sapphire Wolf bringing up the rear with Neptune walking in between.

A faint noise caught Sapphire Wolf's attention. She spun around just in time to see a panel of wall detach itself and turn sideways revealing a circular opening on the side at the tip of where Cupid's bow was depicted on its adjacent side leaving no question as to what came next.

"Look out! It's a trap!" she yelled just in time to dodge several arrows fired from the wall tile.

The other two immediately went on the defensive at Sailor Sapphire Wolf's warning dodging arrow after arrow.

Eugile's voice could be heard seeming to come from everywhere. She gave her trademark snobby laugh.

"You idiots, of course it's a trap. You really expected it not to be?" she mocked from her control room.

"Let's Play!" she called with an evil laugh as she used controls that had an appearance like a table soccer game to launch panel after panel at the scouts.

The wall panels came one after another firing arrows and trying to trap the scouts by slamming into them. All three dodged repeatedly. Finally, an opening came. They called their attacks.

"Uranus World Shaking!"

"Neptune Deep Submerge!"

"Sapphire Burial!"

The attacks managed to take out a large number of the panels, but not all of them.

"Look out!" Sapphire Wolf called as she blocked a panel from slamming into Uranus and Neptune using her Sapphire Burial to destroy it.

Before any of them had time to react, another panel came from behind Uranus. Neptune saw the impending danger and rushed to save her friend.

"Uranus, watch out!" Neptune shoved Uranus out of the way before she realized what was happening and before Sapphire Wolf could turn from where she had blocked the first panel from hitting both of them.

The panel missed Uranus but struck Neptune dead on knocking her unconscious and trapping her to its sticky surface. It struck the opposite wall and turned inward like a revolving door taking Neptune with it and disappearing seeming to become part of the wall.

"No!"

"Neptune!"

Sapphire Wolf and Uranus both yelled. Uranus rushed up to the wall in rapid pursuit of the panel but was too late to stop it from getting away. She bashed her fist against it to no avail.

Eugile's voice could be heard again with its snobby mocking tone and high pitched laugh.

"The pure heart crystal belongs to me now!" she gloated.

"Eugile!" Sapphire Wolf bellowed angrily.

"What do you mean?" Uranus asked caught off guard.

"I only just figured it out myself so, it's no wonder you didn't know either." She said mockingly. "Sailor Neptune is the holder of a pure heart crystal. I'm going to take it away from her in just a minute. If you want to watch, just go straight ahead." She continued.

With a nod to each other Sailors Sapphire Wolf and Uranus ran up the hallway to a large room the glossy tile floor clicking under their shoes as they ran. As they approached, an organ could be heard playing Bach's "Toccata and Fugue in D-minor." As they entered the room and the door closed behind them, Eugile stood from her place sitting at an organ across a small bridge over a part of the bell tower pretending to play and shut off a tape player on the bench next to where she had been sitting causing the music to cease. Neptune was stuck to the wall panel that had struck her, which stood freely near the bench, held in place by thick, sticky bands of its pink, gooey surface. Her head drooped and she did not move indicating she was still unconscious.

"Let Neptune go right now!" bellowed Uranus.

Eugile just laughed. "Now, why would I want to do a stupid thing like that?" she mocked.

"You are going to regret this." Sapphire Wolf warned.

Without further warning, Uranus charged across the bridge Sapphire Wolf joining her. They only made it to the near edge of the bridge for as soon as they set foot on it, they were fired on from both sides by more of Eugile's cupid wall panels. The arrows forced them back. Uranus fell on her back on the floor and Sapphire Wolf went down on one knee. Both shuddered and gasped for breath.

Eugile laughed again "You fools, I've rigged this bridge to fire on anyone who touches it except me." She began to walk across the bridge taking her heart snatching syringe gun in her hands from its place beside the tape player.

Uranus sat up part way on her elbows a defiant look on her face. Across the bridge, Neptune began to stir.

"I'll take your friend's heart crystal in just a moment but there's two more I want fist." Eugile said smugly as she took aim at Uranus and Sapphire Wolf.

Sapphire Wolf got her feet and put herself between Eugile and Uranus.

"No, you don't. You monster. Come one step closer and, I'll kill you." She said coldly.

"What are you doing?" Uranus asked stunned by her fellow scout's actions as she got to her feet. "Why would she protect me after everything Neptune and I have said?" Uranus wondered inwardly.

"I won't just stand by and let her take anybody's heart crystal not even yours not while there is breath in my body." Sapphire Wolf spoke firmly as she glanced sideways at Uranus then turned her attention back to her enemy.

Across the bridge, Neptune had come to completely and her struggles to get free now caught everybody's attention.

"Uranus, I won't let her Kill you!" she called as she managed to pull herself free and tried to dart across the bridge.

She too was fired upon and brought to her knees half way across.

"Neptune, no! Stay back!" Uranus yelled.

Neptune got to her feet shakily and made it another few steps being fired on the whole time before being brought to her knees a second time. Once more, she stood shakily her uniform visibly torn and tattered from the onslaught. This time the only thing that came from the wall panels were puffs of air. Their ammunition had mercifully been exhausted.  
"Darn, out of ammo." Eugile noted plaintively as Neptune drew closer crossing the bridge and reaching for Eugile's gun in an attempt to take it.

The two struggled over the gun as Eugile tried to rake aim. Sailor Sapphire Wolf joined in also trying to confiscate the weapon. Uranus, coming from Eugile's flank, grabbed for the gun as well desperate to prevent Eugile from using it on her friend. Suddenly, the weapon went off. Sapphire Wolf put herself between Neptune and its blast, but the pair were both caught as the energy pierced Sailor Sapphire Wolf's chest, forcing her heart crystal out through her back, and then, went through Neptune doing the same. Both scouts screamed in agony as their heart crystals were torn from their bodies. Uranus, having not been in the beam's path, could only look on in shock.

"NO! NEPTUNE!" Uranus shrieked in horror her face a mask of sorrow and terror at the site of her best friend losing her heart crystal.

Neptune fell to the floor unconscious. Sailor Sapphire Wolf fell to both knees one hand bracing herself on the floor the other clutching her chest as she gasped and sputtered for air. Her chest felt like it was in a fiery vice. Every breath was excruciatingly painful and could only be likened to slow torture. She could feel her energy leaving her at an alarming rate.

Above them their heart crystals shimmered and shone brilliantly and were enveloped in a glow. Neptune's heart crystal became an ornate mirror with a gold back and handle and an aquamarine face with the symbol of Neptune in its center. Sailor Sapphire Wolf's became two identical swords with silver handles and the symbol of the Blue Moon engraved on their hilts. Their blades were large, crescent shaped, and broad reminiscent of the swords used by the Gerudo characters in the video game "The legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time."

"So, we were the holders of the pure heart crystals. What a cruel irony." Uranus lamented half astonished half devastated at the implication as she witnessed the treasures reveal themselves.

"Just one more, then, I can begin searching for the last one." Eugile laughed as she came closer to claim her ill-gotten prizes.

Sailor Sapphire Wolf still clutching her chest and drawing short ragged breaths looked up at Eugile with an expression of pain driven rage. Before Eugile could lay a finger on any of the treasures, Sailor Sapphire Wolf jumped and aimed a full force kick right at Eugile's midsection striking her target dead on. Sapphire wolf landed on her feet shakily and went down on one knee clutching her chest again with her breathing even more labored than it had been. The force of Sapphire Wolf's kick sent Eugile reeling causing her to lose her grip on her gun which skittered across the floor to a halt not far from where Uranus watched in disbelief. Eugile had been staggered to the edge of the bridge and tried to keep he balance flailing her arms wildly to no avail. With a scream, she fell over the edge just barely managing to grab a bell rope in time which immediately began to lower her to the floor below rapidly.

The doors to the room suddenly flew open and, for a moment, Uranus thought it was one of the ambassadors of good silhouetted in the light shining through a stained-glass window depicting a butterfly. It was Serena come to help her friends. She rushed into the room only to be greeted by the fact that she was too late for Sailors Neptune and Sapphire Wolf.

Sailor Sapphire Wolf locked eyes with Serena and uttered an urgent warning between gasps for air and shudders of pain "Whatever…you do…don't let...the…heart snatchers…get… the…Twin…Wolf…Blades…Don't …let …them…win…" Sailor Sapphire Wolf's vision blurred as the last of her strength left her and she collapsed forward onto the floor.

"NOOOO!" Serena cried almost sobbing. She quickly knelt between Neptune and Sapphire wolf and began trying to place their heart crystals back in their bodies with no luck.

"Please, go back where you belong." She pleaded holding Neptune's mirror over her.

"Just leave them. We have found two crystal treasures. They mustn't fall into the wrong hands. You can have this back." Uranus said glumly sitting beside Neptune and slid Serena's transformation broach across the floor to her.

Serena took it and looked up at Uranus. "We can't just leave them like this. We have to do something." She said pleadingly

"There's nothing more we can do now. It isn't fair, Michele. Why did you have to go back to your own world?" Uranus spoke sullenly as she looked over at her fallen friend. She picked up Eugile's gun and began to take aim at her own chest.

Serena rushed to stop her leaning across her and grasping at the gun to push it away. "No! Don't do it! We can save the world without the heart crystals!" She pleaded with Uranus.

Uranus gave a small smile. "For a moment, I could almost feel as though that were true." She said wistfully. She shoved Serena hard enough to make some distance, then, put the gun to her chest and fired. Her heart crystal was forced out her back and she collapsed on the floor. Her heart crystal shimmered and became a curved dagger with a gold hilt and a blade with several jewels adorning it. Serena could only sob at the heart-breaking sight. Sailors Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter came rushing in only find they were too late. They gazed in shock and dismay at the collapsed forms of Sailors Neptune, Uranus, and Sapphire Wolf their crystal treasures floating above them.

AN: And that about does it for chapter 4! A wild ride indeed. Sailor Sapphire Wolf makes no bones on how she wants to deal with Eugile and even raises her voice to Sitka (definitely a first there). We have the outer scouts and Sailor Sapphire Wolf confronting Eugile only to have their heart crystals stolen and revealed to be the crystal treasures (raise your hand if you saw it coming. Come on, I dropped more than enough hints in the previous chapters that this would happen). The cupid wall panels were a nice touch included from the original show and in case anybody was wondering what that song was that Eugile was pretending to play, I finally got an answer for that too (we have all heard that one somewhere). Sitka, Luna, Artemis, and even Smoke all got some air time this chapter as well. And who might the mysterious Trista Maioh be? (If you know, don't spoil it for those who are new. Hint: she is a character from the original show). We also end with a cliff hanger at the same point as in the show. I was thinking about not doing it and continuing but at over 6,000 words and seeing as I had yet to show that I can cliff hang with the best of them, I figured I would cut it right there (sorry guys couldn't resist) (Yeah, I know. "Oh! she's never done a cliff hanger before when are we ever going to know what happens next?"). Don't worry next chapter will be completed as fast as I can. Hang on for the rest of the ride. See you next chapter.


	6. The Treasures Awaken

Ok, people, here we are at the next chapter. First off, let me apologize for the long wait in between chapters (writing time is harder to come by than many would think). Secondly, hope everybody has been enjoying the ride so far. Last chapter saw the crystal treasures revealed but at a high cost. We also saw Sailor Sapphire Wolf helping the outer scouts despite the way they have treated her thus far. Remember, she is an ex soldier so, helping allies in battle (even ones that have not been nice) is going to be a personality trait of hers. Which begs the questions: Is this really the end for Sailors Uranus, Neptune, and Sapphire Wolf? Who is the mysterious Trista Maioh? Has Eugile finally been stopped for good? All these questions and more will be answered when you read on.

The Treasures Awaken

At the crossroads:

Sailor Sapphire Wolf never felt herself hit the ground. As she lost consciousness, she felt an odd sensation as if she were floating away. All her pain slowly left her and, she fell into what felt like a deep sleep. Slowly, her fog laden brain began to notice what felt like a smooth, hard surface underneath her. She began to stir. As she opened her eyes, she began to take in her unusual surroundings. She checked herself over. She was still clad in her sailor scout outfit. She seemed to be lying on a glassy, dark, smooth surface. All around, there was white-gray fog too dense to see through.

She sat up sitting Indian style and thought to herself "How did I get here?" a split second later the horrible memory came flooding back to her.

"Am I dead?" she asked herself out loud with a look of mixed confusion and shock. Unable to come up with any answers she propped her right elbow on one knee and rested her chin on her fist.

"Great, this is just great. What a fine mess you've gotten yourself into now, Nora. You've really done it this time. Now, your are stuck and have no idea where you even are. Just brilliant. Really smooth move." She thought to herself in disgruntlement.

"Well, might as well have a look around and see if you can find a way out of here." She thought as she stood up.

"Hello? Anybody out there?" she called as she began to walk forward. The odd surface made no sound as she walked across its glassy expanse and did not even offer any reflection. The dense fog offered no reply to her calls but, Sailor Sapphire Wolf could not help but feel like she was being followed. She spun around and caught a glimpse of fur darting through the fog.

"Hello?" she called running several paces in the direction of the blur. No answer. Whatever it was had disappeared.

Again, Nora sensed something behind her and spun around only to catch a fleeting glimpse of something moving in the fog.

"Hey! Wait!" she called in pursuit. Again, nothing. Whatever it was seemed to be circling her. Sailor Sapphire Wolf turned slowly in every direction.

At last, she heard a warm laugh. She turned around to see a soft gray wolf sitting in front of her. With a questioning look, Sailor Sapphire Wolf took a step forward.

"You aren't Sitka are you?" she asked taking notice of the mark of the Blue Moon kingdom on the wolf's forehead.

The wolf shook her head and gave another warm, friendly laugh. "No, I am not your friend, Sitka. I am your guide. You may call me Aniu." her voice was familiar but Sailor Sapphire Wolf could not place it.

"So, then, is it true? Am I...dead?" Sailor Sapphire Wolf asked glumly.

The scout's question only solicited another laugh from her guide.

"No, You aren't dead. At least, not yet. You are so smart but still have much to learn. Time is short. I will explain what I can. The rest will be up to you."

With a flash of light, the wolf transformed into a woman with a soft, kind face (the mark of the Blue Moon on her forehead), blue eyes, and waist length wavy blue hair. She wore an ornate blue and white dress with matching crescent moon shaped earrings, and dress shoes. She appeared to be slightly older than Sailor Sapphire Wolf but still had a youthful appearance.

"Follow me." she said warmly motioning with her hand for Sailor Sapphire Wolf to follow.

"Where are we going?" Sailor Sapphire Wolf asked.

"To the crossroads. You have a very important decision to make." Aniu said in a cheery tone.

Sailor Sapphire Wolf followed in confused silence staring all around but not seeing anything but the dense, white fog.

Finally, they came upon two ornate archways that stood at angles almost across from one another in an area where the fog seemed to clear. One emitted a blinding bright light but, as Sailor Sapphire Wolf drew closer, she could see a scene of utter bliss and peace. A grassy hill by a slow moving, clear river with beautiful flowers and trees all around. It looked almost like something out of a fairy tale. The other emitted a blue light even as Sailor Sapphire Wolf came near and offered no scene as to what was on the other side. Both seemed to have a clear, shimmering barrier that divided the realm of the crossroads, where Sailor Sapphire Wolf and Aniu stood, from the realms that they lead to. Sailor Sapphire Wolf drew closer to the arch that lead to the peaceful scene by the river and reached forward with curiosity. The barrier rippled and felt cool to the touch but her hand would not pass through.

"What is this place? What is the big decision that I am supposed to make?" she asked turning to Aniu.

"This is the crossroads. You have a choice between two paths. You can choose to go to paradise or you can choose to return to your friends." Aniu spoke matter of factly.

"What do you mean? My heart crystal was removed. How do I get back to my friends? Won't I just end up back here? I thought you said I wasn't dead." Sailor Sapphire Wolf spoke almost accusingly.

"You aren't, yet. You can still return, if you want." Aniu said warmly.

"What happens if I stay here and don't go to paradise or return?"Sailor Sapphire wolf asked trying judge how this crossroads worked.

"Your time will eventually run out, and you would be automatically transported to paradise. You have done no evil, so, you would not be sent below. Your physical body is still in the Marine Cathedral. Only your consciousness, your soul, is here. Once your physical body gives out, your time is up and there will be no way to return." Aniu said gravely.

"So, this is all just in my mind?" Sapphire Wolf asked.

"It involves your mind but, this is no figment of your imagination. Both my self and this crossroads are as real as you are." Aniu said confidently.

Sailor Sapphire Wolf mulled over everything that had been said thus far and, like a pop up thunderstorm, another question sprang forth.

"But what about all the times I killed enemies in the war? I have never felt remorse for any of it and I still don't. How can you say I have done no evil?" Sailor Sapphire Wolf asked in a pained tone.

Aniu listened intently to her question as though expecting it. "Those you stopped were bent on cruel and malicious acts. You should not be ashamed to be glad to be rid of them. The fact that you question your feelings on the matter shows a deeply developed conscience not evident in those you killed. War is always terrible. You are in no way evil for killing those who would have done horrible things if you hadn't and not feeling guilty about it."

Sailor Sapphire Wolf felt at least mildly comforted by Aniu's words. Another question soon flashed across her mind.

"What would happen to my friends?" Sailor Sapphire Wolf asked.

"That I do not know. What I can say is that they would miss you deeply and, their odds of defeating the heart snatchers would diminish." Aniu said truthfully.

"And if I return?" Sapphire Wolf asked weighing everything she had heard so far.

"Your heart crystal would be restored and, you could then help your friends." Aniu's answer gave no other details.

"Allow me to ask you a question" Aniu said not giving any hint as to what she might ask.

"Shoot." Sailor Sapphire Wolf said wondering what questions her guide could possibly have for her.

"You seek the Infinity Sapphire do you not?" she asked.

"Yes but, how do you know about the Infinity Sapphire? I have been looking for leads as to where it might be but, I haven't found anything yet." Sailor Sapphire Wolf said puzzled.

"If your intentions are pure, then you must seek the Infinity Sapphire enshrined at the top of the most inhospitable mountain and pass the three trials; the trial of cunning, the trial of courage, and the trial of burdens. It was hidden there to protect it from those who would misuse it. Only its destined guardian will be able to negotiate the mountain, pass the trials, and find the crystal." Aniu spoke in riddles.

"Which mountain? Where is it?"Sailor Sapphire Wolf asked urgently.

"I can not say any more. I am sorry. The one who is meant to find the Infinity Sapphire must undertake the task of locating and climbing the mountain and passing the trials. Either you are meant to find it or you will not." Aniu said almost glumly.

Sailor Sapphire Wolf thought for a minute wanting to make sure to ask anything she might need to know. Another question came to her easily.

"Who and where is the princess of the Blue Moon Kingdom?" Sailor Sapphire Wolf asked trying to pry more information from her guide.

"The princess of the Blue Moon Kingdom will only be revealed once the Infinity Sapphire rests in the hands of its destined guardian." Aniu again answered cryptically as if she were holding something back.

Sailor Sapphire Wolf wanted to press further but another, much more urgent thought crossed her mind.

"What about the others, Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune? Where are they?" Sapphire wolf asked with concern.

"Each person must face their own crossroads alone and make their own choice without any outside influence. Each of them is at their own crossroads as you are at yours. Their guides can lead them to their archways and explain how it all works, but the choice is their own. The two of them, who have been so close, are for the first time, having to act without knowing what the other will do. They may make the same choice or different ones. I imagine it will be difficult for them but, either way, they will be fine."

"Do you know what they will choose?" she asked curiously.

"No, I am not either of their guides so, I have no way of knowing what they might choose. Even if I did, I would not be permitted to tell you. Your choice must be your own. I can only explain the process, what your after realm (in your case paradise) is like, and what the likely outcome of each choice may be but, I can not give any definite information that might influence your decision." Aniu explained

"So, do you know what I am going to choose?" Sailor Sapphire Wolf asked wondering if her guide somehow could see the future.

"I have an idea of your more likely choice, yes, but I can not say for absolute certain what your final choice will be." Aniu again answered somewhat cryptically.

"What is paradise like, if you really are allowed to tell me?" she asked almost ready to make her choice.

"Eternal peace and calm. Surrounded by kindness and love. You would even see your parents and fiance again and, you could be together and happy forever. You would never feel extreme hunger, fatigue, or pain again. It would be eternal bliss." Aniu answered honestly.

Sailor Sapphire Wolf walked up to the archway that lead to paradise and looked in. Standing in the archway on the opposite side from Sailor Sapphire Wolf with the scene of eternal peace behind them stood a tall man with short, black hair, green eyes, and a kind face and a woman with long, strawberry blond hair, brown eyes, and a round face with soft features both smiled and waved. They were clad in casual, comfortable looking clothes as if on a vacation. Both looked to be almost as old as Nora was now maybe a bit older but not much. To their left stood a younger man of no more than twenty or so with short brown hair and an athletic appearance to his face clad in a light weight American military combat uniform lacking the heavy vests and weaponry that would typically encumber a soldier leaving his uniform to actually look fairly comfortable. On his ring finger, a small gold band glistened.

Sailor Sapphire Wolf's eyes welled with tears. "Mom, Dad, Henry, I miss you but, I can't join you yet. There are people who need my help or else something really bad is going to happen. One day, we will be together again. Until then, just know that I love you very much." She said not knowing if they could hear her.

Their faces told her almost instantly that they could hear every word. 

"We love and miss you too, dear. Don't worry, we understand. Go give the bad guys what's coming to them. Don't worry about us, we'll be here when the time comes. We aren't going anywhere." her father said.

"That's right. Take care of the Earth. Take care of your friends. Don't let the bad guys win. We'll be waiting to hear all about it another time. We love you and we could not be more proud." her mother added.

"My love, stop those villains. There will be plenty of time to catch up later. You never once gave up because the fight was hard and, you always put those you cared about first. That's why I fell in love with you and, I will always love you no matter what. Don't feel guilty because you survived. You were meant to protect the planet. Go and win. I know you will beat the bad guys." Henry said encouragingly with a broad smile.

Sailor Sapphire Wolf nodded wiping her eyes with her hand and backed away from the archway.

"Aniu, I've made my decision." she said flatly looking at the ground her hair obscuring her face momentarily. "I'm going back. I can't let them face the heart snatchers alone." she spoke in a more determined tone as she looked up.

Aniu nodded "When you are ready, just step through the archway." she said warmly gesturing towards the archway of blue light.

"What happens to you once I leave?" Sailor Sapphire Wolf asked the question suddenly popping into her head.

"Don't worry. I will be just fine. You will see me again when I am needed." Aniu answered with a smile.

Sailor Sapphire Wolf could not help but feel Aniu was holding something back but time was too short to push the issue and Aniu was not likely to tell her anyway.

"Ok, If you say so." she said as she turned to face the arch that led back to her friends.

Sailor Sapphire Wolf stepped through the arch and felt a strange swooshing sensation in her stomach as if she were on a fast moving conveyor belt. Her hair was even blown back by wind as the light itself seemed to be surrounding her like a tunnel.

At the Marine Cathedral:

"It is faint but, each of them still has a heart beat." Sailor Mars said putting her ear to Sailor Uranus's, Sailor Neptune's, and Sailor Sapphire Wolf's chests in turn.

"Help me put these treasures back before it's too late." Serena asked the group as she made to grab Sailor Neptune's mirror.

Before her fingers could even touch it, a torrent of flames flooded the room cutting her and the other scouts off from the treasures. As it subsided, a blur rushed past and grabbed the treasures.

"I believe these belong to me now." Eugile boasted in her snobby tone as she tucked the mirror and dagger into her brazier and the swords behind her shirt across her back. "You guys are no match for my super duper fire buster model II!" she gloated.

"Give those back!" Serena yelled.

"Not on your Life! Catch me if you can, sailor brats!" Eugile mocked then took off down the corridor from whence she came.

"Get back here!" Sailor Jupiter bellowed angrily taking off in pursuit

The rest of the scouts gave chase as Serena gathered her transformation broach and prepared to join them.

"Moon Cosmic Power!" she called her transformation and in a flash of light and ribbons was enveloped in her scout uniform.

"Watch them, please." she asked Tuxedo Mask who had remained with Serena.

"Right!" he answered promising to stand guard over the three fallen scouts until the others could take back their crystal treasures and, hopefully, save their lives.

Sailor Moon ran through the corridor desperate to catch up with her friends.

Up ahead, the scouts caught up with Eugile almost cornering her. Eugile stopped and turned around suddenly and took the nozzle of her fire buster and pressed a button on it. It sprayed the floor with pink, sticky, tar like muck. The scouts tried to stop before running into it but, the floor was coated too quickly. They ran into each other like a multi car pile up each pushing the one in front of them into the pink, sticky goo. They all got stuck in the muck and, the more they tried to get out, the more stuck they became.

"That ought to hold you just long enough for me to make my escape." Eugile laughed then took off around the corner and out of sight.

Sailor Moon caught up with the rest of the scouts just as Eugile took off. She managed to stop short of the sticky, pink tar that entrapped her friends.

"Sailor Moon!" called Sailor Mini Moon happy to see her despite being very stuck in the pink tar.

"You just missed her! She went that way!" Called Jupiter motioning with her head as she tried to free her hands.

"Don't let her get away!" Mars yelled while trying to free one of her feet.

"Forget about us. We'll be fine." said Mercury as she too struggled to free herself.

"You've got to get the crystal treasures!" Venus urged her also trying to get out of the sticky tar.

"If you say so" Sailor Moon said with reservation.

She jumped onto the nearest scout's back and leaped from one to the next until she was across missing Sailor Mini Moon.

The scouts all grunted and groaned now more stuck than they were before.

"Sorry!" Sailor Moon said feeling more than a little guilty.

"Don't mind us. We'll be along soon." Said Jupiter. "Just go!"

"Right!" Sailor Moon Said and, she took off continuing her pursuit of Eugile.

"Wow! That was amazing! It was pretty cool how you guys let her walk all over you like that!" Sailor Mini Moon said as she watched Sailor Moon's retreating form. She tried to pull herself up from the pink tar only to be pulled back down by its elasticity face first.

Sailor Moon Ran as fast as she could around the corner and down a flight of stairs and down another corridor.

"My friends. I won't let you down!" She thought to herself with determination.

Up above, unbeknownst to Sailor Moon, Trista Maioh watched from a ledge.

"Almost there. Dr. Tomoe will be pleased." Eugile gloated to herself as she entered the main hall.

"Stop right there!" Sailor Moon yelled finally catching up with Eugile.

Eugile stopped almost in the middle of room. "Great, just what I need, another sailor brat." she said in a snobby tone.

"Those treasures belong to Sailor Uranus, Sailor Neptune, and Sailor Sapphire Wolf. I won't let you have them!" Sailor Moon said forcefully.

"Moon Spiral Heart Attack!" Sailor Moon wasted no time calling her attack spinning an ornate, gold and pink wand topped with an elaborate heart and unleashing a wave of pink, heart shaped energy.

Eugile countered with a torrent of flames from her fire buster which negated Sailor Moon's attack.

"How did she stop my attack?" Sailor Moon asked out loud in dismay.

Eugile laughed. "I told you you were no match for my new fire buster model II!" she gloated.

"Don't worry, Sailor Moon! She can't win against all of us together!" called Jupiter as she and the other scouts entered the hall and took up positions beside Sailor Moon.

"Darn! Now, they're all here." Eugile complained.

Each scout called their attack in a combined effort to stop Eugile.

"Sparkling Wide Pressure!"

"Mars Celestial Fire Surround!"

"Shine Aqua Illusion!"

"Venus Love Chain Encircle!"

"Pink Sugar Heart Attack!"

The group's combined attack was met with more flames from Eugile's fire buster and was negated as Sailor Moon's had been.

"You'll never win, sailor brats, so why don't you just give up?" Eugile taunted.

The insult was met with angry glowers from the determined scouts.

Suddenly, there came a voice from a corridor opposite where the scouts stood, "Eugile! You will now surrender the crystal treasures!". Trista Maioh came into view.

"And just who are you supposed to be?" Eugile asked.

"Who is that?" asked Sailor Venus.

"It's Trista Maioh!" Said Sailor Moon in shock.

"You know her?" asked Jupiter.

"We only met once." Sailor Moon said answering Jupiter's question.

"Pluto Planet Power!" Trista transformed in a flash of energy into her scout form.

"She's Sailor Pluto!" said Sailor Moon in even greater disbelief.

"Sailor Pluto!" Sailor Mini Moon cheered happy to see her friend. Sailor Pluto smiled back.

"I thought you had to guard the space time door." Sailor Moon asked with concern.

"I've been sent to aid you against the heart snatchers." Sailor Pluto answered.

"What brings you here? I mean, how did you know where to find us?" Sailor Moon questioned.

"This! The last crystal treasure!" Sailor Pluto held her garnet rod and allowed the orb on top to float free from the staff as she turned towards Eugile. Sailor Moon and the rest gazed in awe.

"How nice of you to deliver it to me." Eugile said mockingly.

The orb began to glow and, as it did, the other treasures began to float away from Eugile drawn into forming a square of energy with the orb's power.

"Hey, come back here!" called Eugile as she tried to grab for the treasures unable to get her hand on any of them.

"If you like that, then you're going to love this." Sailor Pluto said a little smugly.

Each of the other treasures also began to glow.

In the Bell Tower Room:

Tuxedo Mask kept watch over Sailors Uranus, Neptune, and Sapphire Wolf for what felt like an eternity. He stared at a painted glass window silently praying that Sailor Moon and the others could get the crystal treasures back. Suddenly, there was a light breeze. He turned to see the marks of Uranus, Neptune, and the Blue Moon kingdom glowing on the foreheads of the three unconscious scouts.

Sailors Uranus, Neptune, and Sapphire Wolf appeared to flicker and then disappeared from Tuxedo Mask's sight.

"What the?" he said in surprise taking a step back.

Hoping this meant what he thought it did, he decided to go find Sailor Moon to tell her what just happened having a feeling she might already know.

In the tunnel of blue light, returning to her friends:

Sapphire Wolf could almost see a white light at the end of the tunnel. It looked like there was something floating in the air. As she came closer, the Twin Wolf Blades came into view. As she stepped out of the tunnel, it took a second to realize she was standing with Sailors Uranus and Neptune and that all the crystal treasures were there. She glanced at Sailors Uranus and Neptune who nodded back then back at the Twin Wolf Blades and felt strangely compelled to reach out and grab them. She could hear Aniu's voice in her head saying "The Twin Wolf Blades were forged from the courage and nobility in your heart. They are yours to use against evil. Their power is a great responsibility but one that I am sure you will be able to handle. Take them and receive the Loyalty chalice as you were destined to do."

Sailor Moon's P.O.V:

Sailors Uranus, Neptune, and Sapphire Wolf appeared in front of their respective treasures, the symbols of their planets on their foreheads, although each was still clearly unconscious. The glow of the crystal treasures seemed to intensify and from each appeared the heart crystal of the three sailor scouts. The heart crystals floated from the treasures back to Sailors Neptune, Uranus, and Sapphire Wolf and faded back into their bodies.

"Look the heart crystals! They're going back!" said Sailor Mars happily as she and the rest of the scouts watched excitedly.

Tuxedo Mask joined them just in time to witness the heart crystals being returned. As the crystals returned, they slowly opened their eyes taking in their surroundings and the treasures. Their planetary symbols were once again replaced by the tiaras that accompanied their scout uniforms. Sailors Uranus and Neptune and Sailor Sapphire Wolf glanced at each other and nodded.

Sailor Neptune smiled and spoke teasingly "Well, Amara, I guess there wasn't a victim after all..hmm."

The Continuing Scene in the Main Hall:

"Now that the treasures are revealed, do they have much power?" Sailor Jupiter asked out of curiosity.

Sailors Sapphire Wolf, Neptune, and Uranus each took hold of their crystal treasures with Sailor Sapphire Wolf having to use two hands(one on each sword) and as they did, a great power was released causing each of them to strain slightly in order to maintain their grip on their respective treasure. The light that was emitted was so bright, all the scouts including Sailor Pluto had to shield their eyes or else squint and turn away. Even Eugile turned away from the blinding light of the crystal treasures.

After a moment, the light faded revealing an ornate pink and red chalice with wings on either side and an almost identical blue and silver chalice floating where the treasures' power had converged. Before the group had time to fully take in what had happened, a torrent of flames came flying from Eugile's direction. Eugile wasted no time releasing a blast of flames from her fire buster causing the scouts to yell and step back. She was after the Purity and Loyalty chalices lightning fast. Sailor Moon, seeing Eugile's plan, leaped through the flames and was joined not a split second later by Sailor Sapphire Wolf. The two took off in a race against Eugile to get the chalices. All three ran at top speed in a crazed mad dash to thwart the other side. At the last second, Sailor Moon and Sailor Sapphire Wolf jumped for the chalices just managing to secure them.

Sailor Moon landed with a forward shoulder roll holding the pink and gold Purity Chalice. Sailor Sapphire Wolf landed in the same manner gripping the Loyalty Chalice. Both scouts were instantly enveloped in the energy of the chalices.

The Purity Chalice's power surrounded Sailor Moon in feathery, wing like energy and changed the color of her skirt from blue to white with yellow and blue trim lines at the edge. The bow on the front of her scout uniform was now also adorned with a heart shaped broach in the center and around her waist was a thin belt with a heart shaped buckle piece. The bow on the back of her skirt was transformed into a larger transparent version of itself. The shoulder sleeves of her scout uniform became angular and transparent as opposed to the usual curved and solid. Her hair was also additionally adorned with two rows of small white feathers on either side. She could feel her power multiplied ten fold.

The Loyalty Chalice's power surrounded Sailor Sapphire Wolf in blue light. Her skirt was changed from white to blue with a silver border stripe. The front bow of her scout uniform now had a blue crescent moon on the silver center button. The bow at the small of her back, like Sailor Moon's, became a larger transparent one. The same change occurred for her shoulder sleeves as had sailor moons; where they had been solid and curved before, now they were angular and transparent. Her hair also had the same two rows of small feathers as Sailor Moon's only silver. She, too, felt her power multiplied tenfold.

"Huh? What now?" Sailor Mini Moon said curiously investigating two new rows of mini feather hair ornaments in her own hair that seemed to have popped up when Sailor Moon was transformed by the Purity Chalice. All of the others' attention was on Sailors Moon and Sapphire Wolf and Eugile leaving Mini Moon the only one to notice this change. The group stood ready to jump in at a moment's notice.

"No Fair!" wailed Eugile. She immediately fired a torrent of flames from her fire buster at Sailors Moon and Sapphire Wolf.

Sailor Moon used the energy of the chalice to reflect the flames back at Eugile with a mere gesture of her hand. At the same time, Sailor Sapphire Wolf raised her hands and prepared to call a new attack offered by the Loyalty Chalice.

"Sapphire Tidal Wave!" she called forth her attack as she brought her hands down in Eugile's direction.

With a great rumble, a gigantic wave of sapphire colored sand rushed at Eugile accompanied by her own flames reflected back at her. The force of the combined attacks sent Eugile straight through a window and into a free fall into the ocean below.

In the lab of Dr Tomoe:

The energy released by the Purity Chalice and the Loyalty Chalice shook everything with a great rumble. Several test tubes fell off of the shelves and shattered on the floor. The doctor himself had to cling to a desk to maintain his footing. In an elevated area to one side of the lab, there was what looked like a little girl's bedroom with lots of stuffed animals but it had only a chair in the center. A dark haired girl sat in the chair holding her head in one hand as if she had a headache. She was clad in strange clothes what one would almost consider a circus outfit complete with an almost tutu like skirt but the colors were darker giving her a sinister appearance. She let out an angry yell in a deep, almost mechanical and menacing voice as everything continued to shake uncontrollably from the energy being released in the battle above.

In the Main Hall of the Marine Cathedral:

As the energy from the attacks faded, Sailor Moon suddenly went from her super transformation back to her regular scout uniform. She wobbled on her feet and then collapsed form utter exhaustion. Tuxedo Mask and the other scouts rushed forward calling her name in concern and Tuxedo Mask caught her just in time.

"I'm sorry everyone. I just feel so weak all of a sudden." Sailor Moon said wearily apologizing for alarming her friends.

At the same time, Sailor Sapphire Wolf also reverted back to her ordinary scout form and dropped to one knee with a groan.

"Ok, it's official. That chalice kicks like a mule." she said in a tired and strained voice. She staggered back into a standing position not wanting to show weakness in front of Sailors Uranus and Neptune whom she pretended not to notice watching the group including herself.

Sailors Neptune and Uranus watched from across the room.

"Maybe they aren't the ones meant to have the chalices." said Sailor Uranus.

"Maybe so." said Sailor Neptune.

Outside Marine Cathedral:

Eugile swam ashore and climbed up a hill to where her SUV was parked. She was soaking wet and covered in burns. Her clothes were tattered, torn, and burnt all over. She put the keys in the ignition and floored the gas as she drove away and up a curve. She picked up speed as she rounded a corner and fumed to herself.

"Rotten sailor brats! How dare they get the crystal treasures and the Purity and Loyalty Chalices!" she vented.

She turned on her radio but instead of music, Mimette's voice came from the speakers.

"You've blown it for the last time, Eugile. I'm afraid doctor Tomoe has grown tired of your failure. Your services are no longer required. Please turn in your key pass, lab coat, and fire buster. Have a nice day." Mimette spoke with mock niceness.

"Not on your life!"Eugile yelled angrily as her SUV picked up speed.

Eugile looked out her windshield just in time to notice that she would not make the turn at her current rate of speed but when she pressed the brake, she had nothing but an odd sensation of emptiness under her foot. She looked down to see a hole in the floor of her vehicle where the break pedal had been with snails and their slime all around it along with note that read "Scream, if you breaks have been eroded by acid snails."

"Mimette!" Eugile yelled in terror.

Her SUV continued to gather speed and crashed through the guard rail. It sailed over the edge of a cliff and slammed into the ocean below taking Eugile with it. That would be the last anyone saw of the evil red head.

On the steps of the Marine Cathedral:

"You sure you're going to be alright?" Sailor Sapphire Wolf asked Sailor Moon who was now leaning against Tuxedo Mask for support with Sailor Jupiter steadying her on the other side.

"Yeah, I'll be fine after a bit of rest." Sailor Moon said with a smile.

"We'll make sure she gets home safely." said sailor Jupiter in a confident voice.

"What about you? It looked like that chalice really took it out of you." asked Sailor Mars.

"I'll be fine. I can make it back on my own." Sailor Sapphire Wolf lied hiding how fatigued she really felt.

"Are you sure? One of us could go with you, if you want. Just in case." Mercury offered kindly.

"You guys, worry about Serena. I'm ok. Really." Sapphire Wolf repeated convincingly.

Sailors Pluto, Neptune, and Uranus walked past the group then turned to address them.

"Thanks for helping but don't think you have earned our trust just yet." said Sailor Uranus bluntly.

"You have our gratitude but we will still stop the sovereigns of silence and solitude from destroying the earth at all costs." said sailor Neptune perhaps a little less coldly than usual.

"We must all be vigilant. We won today but, the heart snatchers are far from beaten." Sailor Pluto spoke in an even tone.

Sailor Sapphire Wolf stepped forward with her right hand extended. "You're the one who returned my heart crystal. Thank you." She said gratefully.

"I don't deserve all the credit. Sailor Moon kept Eugile occupied long enough for me to determine where the crystal treasures were so that I even had a chance to help at all. Once I saw she had them, I would not have been successful without Sailor Moon." Sailor Pluto said humbly shaking Sapphire Wolf's hand.

"Thank you, too." Sapphire Wolf turned to Sailor Moon with a grateful smile.

"It was nothing. I mean we all helped." Said Sailor Moon said graciously. The rest of the group smiled and nodded their approval.

"Well, we need to get going. Till next time" said Uranus with a wave as she turned and continued walking.

"See you around." said Neptune as she turned to follow Uranus.

"See you soon." Said Sailor Pluto with a kind nod as she followed Neptune and Uranus.

"Guess that is the closest I will ever get to a thank you from those two. Sailor Pluto seems nice at least." said Sailor Sapphire Wolf observantly.

"Don't mind them they are just embarrassed because without you, we would not have beaten Eugile." said Sailor Venus dismissively.

"It's cool. I'll catch you guys later ok?" said Sailor Sapphire Wolf as she and the rest of the group reached the street and headed in opposite directions towards their respective destinations.

"Ok, See ya Nora!" called Mini Moon with a wave. The rest of the group waved.

Sailor Sapphire Wolf returned their waves with a smile and continued walking. Just as she was out of site and earshot of the rest of the group, Sitka darted out from a nearby alley way and rushed to greet Sailor Sapphire Wolf.

"I'm sorry, I sent them after you. I was so worried. I'm so glad you're ok." she said in a tone of relief.

"It's ok, Sitka. You were just being a good friend." Sailor Sapphire Wolf said with a warm smile.

She took a couple of steps forward then her fatigue finally caught up with her. She staggered and collapsed finally reverting to her civilian clothing.

"Nora!" Sitka called with concern as she rushed forward to catch her across her back.

"She must have exhausted herself." Sitka said to herself. The sound of Nora's snoring giving away the fact that she was worn out.

The wolf let Nora lay across her back and took her back to the hotel room sneaking her in through the window landing on the bed. She shrugged Nora off her back and into the bed and covered her up with the blanket.

Nora and the rest of the group would rest peacefully after their hard fought victory but, the war against the heart snatchers was far from over.

AN: Alrighty, fans. That just about does it for chapter five. Boy! What a ride it has been thus far! Raise your hand if you thought Nora had bit the big one (fooled ya didn't I?). Hope everyone enjoyed the almost Naruto-esque first few scenes in the "realm of the crossroads". I figured it would offer an interesting insight as to what might have been going on in Sailor Neptune's and Uranus' consciousnesses during the same scene in the show where they are out cold after losing their heart crystals. Also hope the scene where Sailor Sapphire Wolf is returning and Sailor Moon's P.O.V didn't confuse anybody. Those scenes are basically occurring at the same time but as no one can see Nora's actual consciousness, those on the outside would witness the events in a similar manner to Sailor Moon's P.O.V while Nora would experience them as written in the scene where she is returning. So, I have got to ask, what does everybody think of Super Sailor Sapphire Wolf (pretty cool am I right)? I know I didn't have her use her new swords but all good things in due time(keep reading and she just might use them next chapter). A little bit of mountaineering trivia for everybody: Where might the most inhospitable mountain be (I mean which one is it?)? I'll give you a hint: one quarter of all those who have attempted to climb it have died (no joke there is a mountain in real life that is just that deadly). If I said more, it would give it away. The answer will be in the next chapter. Those who have been following know who Aniu is (Sailor Sapphire Wolf's mother and queen of the former Blue Moon Kingdom). The question is why would she not tell Sailor Sapphire Wolf? I can't tell everybody that just yet but that answer will be in a future chapter. With all the serious moments, I hope everybody enjoyed a lot of the lighter scenes that I kept from the original show (Mini Moon's face plant in the goo among them) and of course, there had to be the famous "Eugile's breaks get sabotaged" scene right? I mean that one is foreshadowed multiple times by her crazy, erratic driving in multiple episodes so, I couldn't just leave it out could I? I even tried to include a bit of levity from Nora (or should I say Sailor Sapphire Wolf) herself. Finally the guardian of time reveals herself. Trista Maioh turns out to be the much loved and talked about Sailor Pluto! Those who have seen the show, I am sure enjoyed the scene where she takes back the crystal treasures and restores the heart crystals to the other scouts essentially undoing all of Eugile's handiwork. A little more of Nora's past is also revealed. We will be getting more into that in the next chapter (Warning: If you cry easily, you may want consider skipping part of the next chapter. No, nothing over the top but, her history IS a very tragic one. I imagine it really won't bother most people possibly just those who are super sensitive) Hope you enjoyed this chapter. There's plenty more to come so, stay tuned!


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